Mariachi Bass Guitar

If you love traditional Mexican folk music, you know how important mariachi bass guitar is to the sound of mariachi. The low end of the bass gives the music the foundation for the beautiful melodies and harmonies that the guitars and vocalists create on top of it. This article explores the history of the bass guitar in mariachi music and provides additional resources where you can learn more about this beautiful instrument.

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Mariachi music comes from the Mexican state of Jalisco and originated in the late 1800s. The instrumentation of a traditional band would include violins, trumpets, a Mexican guitar, a mariachi bass guitar (also known as a guitarron) and a vihuela, or a guitar with five strings and a high pitch. The first mariachi bands were street musicians who wandered the countryside singing romantic songs about heroes, villains and lost loves. While the music has always been intended as dance music, over time, men who wanted to woo women employed the magical effects of this dreamy music to serenade their love interests. The attire of a mariachi band is as important as its instrumentation and the content of the songs. Since mariachi musicians were historically working class, today's musicians dress the part of peasants with wide-brimmed sombreros and wear charro outfits that are often decorated with silver studs. Today, mariachi music is synonymous with all things Mexico, and is an integral part of the country's culture.

The most important thing you need in order to play bass in a mariachi band is the correct instrument. A guitarron is an acoustic bass guitar that has six stings and is used almost exclusively in mariachi music. The instrument features a unique tuning of A-D-G-C-E-A and is fretless, meaning that the neck is without the metal frets that are found on most acoustic guitars. In this way, a guitarron is more like an upright bass than an electric bass.

When playing a guitarron, the bassist plucks notes out in octaves, playing two notes at once. This is essential to the creation of the right sound for the music on several levels. First of all, when octaves are played on a fretless acoustic instrument, the tuning is never totally exact because the lack of frets prevents true consistency. The result is a natural chorus sound that occurs when two notes are almost exactly in tune but are not quite. This natural chorus sound, combined with the fact that playing two notes at the same time makes the instrument sound louder, helps the guitarron effectively fill the space of the low end of mariachi music. Playing in the street without amplification requires an instrument that is capable of throwing a good amount of sound because mariachi musicians do not rely on amplification. In addition, the bass must be lightweight enough to carry through the streets. The exceptional design of this instrument accomplishes all of these goals.

If you're interested in purchasing a guitarron, check out the following online stores:

• Lone Star Guitars – Lone Star Guitars sells a lovely bass guitar with a mother of pearl rosette, a tacote top, cedar back and sides, and a granadillo fingerboard. The guitar also comes with a case.

• Lucida Guitars – Lucida Guitars sells a guitarron with a nato top, spruce bridge and ornate flourishes like elephant ear tuners and herringbone purfling.

• Candela's – Candela's Guitars is a family owned company with three generations of luthiers who handcraft classical, flamenco and mariachi guitars. These guitarrons are truly exquisite in both sound and physical appearance, and are obviously made by people who love the tradition of mariachi music.

• I Love Musica – I Love Musica sells a beautiful guitarron handcrafted by the world famous luthier Ruben Morales Anquiano. Other more entry-level models are also available from this excellent store.

The following web sites have more specific information about the mariachi bass guitar for those of you who would like to learn more.

• Big Ears Ray - Photos of guitarrons and one man's journey with the instrument can be read here.

• Cumpiano - Additional photos of some traditional guitarrons are posted at this site.

• Musical Dots - Musical Dots sells sheet music for mariachi bands. If you are interested in learning how to play this wonderful music, check out this great site.

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