Mariachi music. To some people it’ll conjure up images of weddings in Brooklyn, or getting on the A train at 125th street. Other folks may have seen mariachi groups perform at the Garibaldi Square in Mexico City.

Whatever your exposure to it, mariachi is without a doubt one of the most jubilant and passionate sounds you can hear.

Mariachi is also one of the most influential forms of music in the world. Lyrically and culturally steeped in history, its repertoire is huge and draws from many genres. That’s right: it’s not even a genre in its own right. What makes it so special is the instrumentation. 

A vibrant blend of strings and wind instruments make this music instantly likable, and we’ve put together an introductory guide to mariachi instruments to help you unpack what makes this sound so iconic.

Ready? Vamos!

What Instruments are Used in Mariachi Music?

Depending on who you ask the answers can vary. Mariachi music has been around since the 19th century, although its origins can be traced back even further. It's this rich history of development that makes mariachi ensembles sound so distinctive.

But while there isn't a standard instrumentation for mariachi songs, there are some core instruments that are fundamental to the music.

Here's a list of must-have mariachi instruments that define the sound:

Key Instruments in Mariachi Music

Guitarrón

A core instrument for mariachi bands is an acoustic bass guitar called the Guitarrón. Popular with mariachi in central Jalisco, it has a round, resonant body producing warm and colorful tones, holding down the bass foundations of the music.

Like an upright bass, the strings are generally tuned in fourths (although the tuning can vary) and lie on a fretless fingerboard. Together with the large hollow body these heavy gauge strings help produce powerful bass notes.

The 6 strings are made up of 3 nylon, and 3 steel, bronze, or copper. This combination of materials helps give the instrument rhythmic qualities in addition to its bass duties.

Played using a combination of plucking and strumming, the guitarrón provides the harmonic and rhythmic foundation to mariachi music. Often the right hand will pluck two strings at once, playing in octaves.  

It's a tricky instrument to play, not least because of its size. The heavy gauge bass strings require a certain amount of strength to pluck or strum with the right hand, while the left hand has to press the thick strings down on the fretboard.

Vihuela

The vihuela is a high pitched, round-backed guitar that has a bright, sharp sound (thanks to it being smaller than a regular guitar), and is a traditional Mexican instrument. It also plays a central rhythmic role in a mariachi band.

The vihuela has only five strings, tuned to A-D-G-B-E. The bottom three strings (A-D-G) are tuned one octave higher than a standard guitar, which gives the vihuela a very distinctive sound (and confuses the heck out of regular guitar players, and Nickelback).

Classical Guitar

An additional guitar, of the 'regular' kind, can also be considered a fundamental instrument for a mariachi band. The nylon strings on a classical guitar (and also on the vihuela) help create a smooth and mellow mid-range sound that supports any lead instrument being played.

Alongside the guitarrón and vihuela, the guitar provides the rhythmic foundation for a mariachi band, and the three together are often referred to as the rhythm section. Sorry drummers, you're not invited.

Trumpet

While not part of the instrument arsenal used by the traditional mariachis of yesteryear, a modern mariachi band will have one, or more often, two trumpets.

Unlike some of the other guitar-based instruments, there's no difference between a mariachi trumpet and an orchestral one. However, it does need to be played with a certain amount of subtlety and control in order not to dominate the band (or the subway car).  

Typically a trumpet will play the melody of a song. If there's two players one trumpet will play the melody while the other will add a harmony line to it.

Violin

Alongside the trumpet, the violin also provides melodic noodlings in mariachi bands. This can come in the form of doubling the trumpet part, or by providing counterpoint to the main melody.

Some mariachi groups have as many as 12 violin players in the ensemble, creating a small mariachi orchestra. The bigger your budget, the more strings you can have!

Voice

And of course, where would a song be without a singer?

A mariachi band may have a dedicated singer, or the role may be taken on by an instrumentalist. Sometimes the lead vocals will be shared between players, with each musician taking solos during the verses. Regardless, all the musicians will provide backup vocals during the choruses.

In traditional mariachi, the vocal techniques empoiyed cover a range of styles including falsetto ( huapango ), aggressive ( jalisciense ) and romantic ( bolero ). The main thing however is that the voice is strong enough to be heard over the over the music.

Other Instruments in Mariachi Music

All the instruments above are key to creating the mariachi sound. But they aren't the only instruments you'll come across in this style of music.

Harp

In traditional mariachi music you may hear the sound of a harp. Preferred by mariachi players in southern Jalisco the harp coves double duty in performances, with the left hand playing a bass line, and the right hand covering the melody line, or other melodic and/or harmonic content, such as arpeggios.

A mariachi harp has a stronger projection than a traditional harp, to help it compete against the louder trumpets and violins. The soundboard is occasionally used as a percussive device, although this is rare, .

As you might imagine, lugging a harp around from gig to gig can get cumbersome, and with its roles being covered by other instruments (notably the guitarrón and vihuela) there were very few mariachi groups using the harp by the 1980s.

In recent years there has been a comeback by the harp, particularly where more traditional music is performed.

Guitarra de Golpe

Another musical instrument used in traditional mariachi ensembles is the guitarra de golpe.  Similar in appearance and function to the vihuela, the word golpe is derived from the strumming pattern used when playing this, and other Mexican instruments.

The guitarra de golpe was often used to accompany the mariachi harp, providing the rhythmic foundation, with bass and melodic duties falling to the harp. It fell out of favor during the 20th century, often being replaced by a classical guitar, although it has undergone a revival in recent years.

Whether using a classical guitar, a vihuela, or a guitarra de golpe, an essential ingredient for mariachi is to have at least one guitar in the ensemble.

Accordion

The accordion is a much more recent introduction to the mariachi arsenal. Capable of producing melodies and providing harmonic support (and leaving the player with a mouth free to sing) it's a versatile instrument to have in a mariachi ensemble.

The accordion is a staple in regions influenced by norteño music.

History of Mariachi Music

It's helpful to look at how mariachi music developed in Mexico to get a better understanding of why certain instruments are favored over others.

Early Origins

Before the Spanish rolled up in the 16th century, indigenous Mexican music was played on conch-shell horns, flutes, and various basic percussion instruments.

The new arrivals brought with them various instruments from Europe that were previously unknown in the region. Among them were guitars, harps, violins, wind, and brass instruments.

These instruments were initially meant to be used during Mass, but folks quickly learned to make and play them, customizing the shape and tunings to their liking.

What the Spanish also brought with them was the concept of the musical ensemble. In colonial times this was commonly made up of two violins, a harp, and a handful of guitars.  

These ensembles gave birth to a range of Mexican folk music styles, one of which was the son . While son music had differences between various regions, a unifying feature was the sole use of stringed instruments.

The Birth of Mariachi

Early mariachi music began to set itself apart from its son origins during the nineteenth century. Evolving from the folk style of Son Jalisciense, mariachi began to draw stylistic influence from European musical styles arriving in Mexico throughout the century.

It was also around this time that mariachi salon orchestras performing in rural areas began wearing traje de charro outfits, a style that was carried through to to the 20th century and still continues today.

Early 20th Century Mariachi

Up to this point it had been relatively easy for mariachi musicians to find work on haciendas. After the Mexican revolution in the early 20th century these workers were let go, and many relocated to Mexico city to find gigs performing in plazas and restaurants.

As anyone playing covers knows, you have to keep the audience happy. So musicians were expected to have a vast repertoire under their belt, that included popular songs as well as more traditional music.

At this time the Mexican government was keen to promote mariachi music as a symbol of cultural identity. To this end they built a national radio network to broadcast the music as entertainment, rather than something that was only trotted out for special occasions.

This endeavor, and the emergence of 'world music' recordings by US record companies, helped bring the music of the mariachi to a global audience.

Notably, the influence of jazz and Cuban music at this time led to the introduction of trumpets into mariachi music, defining the mariachi sound many are familiar with today.

The Influence of Mariachi Vargas

One particularly successful band in the field was Mariachi Vargas. They appeared in numerous films, supported famous singers, and extended the size of the usual mariachi group to make it resemble a small orchestra.

In addition to popularizing the art form, the success of this band led to the emergence of mariachi education, with many musicians seeking training in the style beginning in the late 1940s.

Thanks to bands like Mariachi Vargas, and the availability of recordings, Mariachi music is now an urban phenomenon with an influence far beyond its rural beginnings in central Jalisco.

The Future of Mariachi

As a style of playing music, mariachi is not going anywhere. It's jubilant and full of life, which helps to explain the popularity of mariachi musicians at so many events and special occasions.

While drawing on the traditions of its past mariachi also continues to influence, and be influenced by, music from around the world. Because of its wide reach, the sound of mariachi will continue to transform and expand for many years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mariachi Spanish or Mexican?

Mariachi is considered a Mexican folk tradition, although its early origins were influenced by instruments and musical styles brought over by the Spanish

What are mariachi guitars called?

In a mariachi ensemble you may see a vihuela, guitarrón, guitarra de golpe, or a classical guitar. They're all different from one another, but all provide rhythm and harmonic support

Where does the word mariachi come from?

No-one really knows where the term 'mariachi' was coined. A common myth is that it comes from the French word for marriage ( mariage ), but the term was in use long before the French made an appearance in Mexico.

The best anyone can say is that the term mariachi stems from the deep roots upon which it draws.

What makes a song mariachi?

As mentioned earlier mariachi isn't a genre in itself, it's a specific form of ensemble and a way of playing.

By using guitar, trumpet, violins, and other instruments associated with the style, any song can be mariachi.

Check out the wonderful group Metalachi playing a version of Bon Jovi's classic Livin' on a Prayer using mariachi instruments below:

What is a typical mariachi band made up of?

While this can vary depending on the availability of musicians, a core mariachi group will have at least:

• Guitarrón
• Vihuela
• Trumpet
• Violins

Do women play mariachi?

For a long time mariachi was surrounded by the ghosts of typically machismo activities, such as heavy drinking, gambling, and womanizing. It was a male-dominated world for a long time. Female mariachis faced pushback for attempting to muscle in on this machismo playground.

Thanks to the efforts of Carlota Noriega, who directed the first female mariachi band in the 1940s, there are now a number of all female mariachi groups in both the United States and Mexico.