Mariachi Instrumentation

The basic instruments of mariachi music are variations of violin, guitar and harp prototypes that were first brought to Mexico in 1519 by Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors. Natives of Mexico, who already had their own highly developed music, were taught Spanish music after the 1521 conquest and were quick to master European musical traditions. The massive importation of African slaves into Mexico during the early colonial period, combined with Spanish and indigenous musical influences, resulted in many mestizo folk music traditions. One of these was mariachi music.

Apparent links between the early mariachi and orquestas de teatro, orquestas de cuerda and/or orquestas típicas are just some of the hypotheses that have been forwarded in an attempt to trace the mariachi’s origin and evolution. What is certain is that string bands have been popular in Mexico since the colonial era (1521-1810), and that regional variations of these groups that existed in rural areas of Jalisco and surrounding states eventually evolved into what became known as the mariachi.

Early Instrumentation

Mestizo folk ensembles that were forerunners of the mariachi group were found over a very large territory and varied greatly in instrumentation, sometimes including wind and percussion instruments, as well as strings. Nonetheless, in the area of Jalisco and surrounding states — widely considered the heartland of the mariachi — two regional instrumentations had become prominent by the nineteenth century: In the region of Cocula, in central Jalisco, a mariachi commonly consisted of two violins, a vihuela and a guitarrón. In the region of Tecalitlán, in southern Jalisco, a mariachi commonly consisted of two violins, a guitarra de golpe and a harp.

Mariachi de Justo Villa (aka Cuarteto Coculense) in 1908

Modern Mariachi

While its roots are rural, the mariachi we know today is an urban phenomenon that evolved mainly in Mexico City. After the Mexican Revolution died down in the 1920s, traditional mariachis from different parts of the country began migrating to Mexico City, the nation’s capital, where Plaza Garibaldi became the urban mecca of mariachi music. There, and in other urban and suburban areas, changes in instrumentation and attire occurred, and the mariachi adopted new types of music to accommodate urban tastes. Radio, records, films and international tours all helped project this more contemporary type of mariachi to national and international audiences.

Mariachi Vargas in Tecalitlán in the 1920s

Modern Instrumentation

After the Mexican Revolution, mariachi ensembles that had been predominantly quartets tended to increase in size, and urban population centers became melting pots of different regional mariachi traditions. Existing instruments were doubled, new instruments were added, and less practical ones fell into disuse. Mariachi violin sections began to expand, a strummed classical guitar was adopted and the trumpet became a permanent feature of what had been mainly an all-string ensemble. As part of this evolutionary process, the less practical harp and guitarra de golpe all but disappeared. The most recent innovation in standard mariachi instrumentation is the trumpet duet, popularized by Mariachi México de Pepe Villa in the early 1950s.

Mariachi México de Pepe Villa in the mid-1950s

Contemporary Mariachi Instrumentation

The standard instrumentation for a full mariachi group today is two trumpets, up to six violins, a vihuela, a nylon-string guitar and a guitarrón. All members may sing. Harp, guitarra de golpe and an additional guitar and/or trumpet, are optional. Instruments other than those mentioned are sometimes added, particularly in recordings. Many consider 12 to be the minimum number for a full-size, show mariachi. The average working group, however, has considerably fewer members than that, whereas school groups tend to be larger. The exact number of musicians that comprises a mariachi group varies.