How To Play Mexican Music On Guitar

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The big Mexican guitar (guitarrón) is a key instrument in the rich tradition of mariachi music. However, guitar techniques essential to Mexican music include strumming patterns and rhythms that you can learn on the guitarrón, vihuela (a smaller version of the guitarrón), or regular guitar.^[1] With consistent practice, you tin can pick up the Mexican guitar strumming patterns and techniques that give mariachi its distinct, vibrant sound! To help you get started playing this vibrant music style, we've compiled answers to the most commonly asked questions about picking up Mexican guitar.

i
To play traditional Mexican guitar, buy a vihuela or guitarrón. Choose the guitarrón if you'd similar to provide the bass in mariachi music, or choose the vihuela if you're interested in a higher-pitched, smaller version of the guitarrón. Typically, you'll play the guitarrón past plucking strings (like you lot would on a bass guitar), whereas you'll strum a vihuela. ^[ii]
- Use a finger pick (that slides onto your index finger) to play the vihuela.^[iii]
- The vihuela may be easier to selection up if y'all already play guitar because it has the aforementioned tuning as a normal guitar, without the bass Due east string. The guitarrón uses an entirely dissimilar tuning.
ii
Alternatively, use a nylon-string or classical guitar. Yous'll be able to learn the same strumming patterns and rhythms. Don't use an acoustic, steel-string guitar. The stiffer strings will make information technology more difficult to acquire fast picking and strumming.^[4]
- Employ a thick plectrum (regular) choice to produce the strong, vibrant sound associated with mariachi.

1
Use your knee or guitar strap to concord the guitar upright. If the guitar sits too low on your lap, try standing with your leg propped upwardly on a stool. Your bent human knee will act as a footling shelf for the guitar to sit higher. If you'd like to stand without a stool, utilise a guitar strap at a length where your guitar feels most comfortable for you. No matter how you hold the guitar, be sure to stand up or sit with good posture.^[7]
- To comfortably play your larger guitarrón, concord the torso at an bending so that the face of the guitar is tipped towards yous.^[8]
ii

Employ a relaxed right right arm and wrist. Relaxing your arm and wrist volition help you strum speedily and produce the intense sound of mariachi music. Your wrist should be bent towards the strings. Don't keep your arm straight, with your wrist parallel to the instrument.^[9] Yous can prop your right forearm on the lower tour of the guitar for stability.^[10]
3

Concur your left hand around the neck of the guitar. Allow your thumb wrap around the dorsum of the guitar's neck so you can employ it to play bass notes.^[11]

Advertizing

1
For huapangos, you lot'll play a complex pattern in 3/four fourth dimension. The rhythm is ii measures long (six beats total), then it's best to outset by learning the first measure. In the first measure, y'all'll play a rhythm of one quarter note, followed by two eighth notes and another ii eighth notes. Let'due south break that showtime measure out downwardly into each individual beat:^[22]
- To play the kickoff vanquish, brand a single downstroke.
- To play the second beat, play a rasgueo (raking your fingers over the strings) followed by an apagón (muting the strings with your palm).
- For vanquish three, return to regular strumming with a downwardly stroke and an up stroke.
- Annotation that a rasgueado or rasgueo is also called abanico or folding fan technique. To play a rasgueo, let all your right-paw fingers drag across the strings as yous strum. Practise getting your fingers to fan out smoothly over the strings so that they hitting evenly. ^[23]
2
Break the second measure of the huapango into three beats. This time, you'll comprise sixteenth notes (which are twice as fast as eighth notes).^[24]
- First, you'll play an 8th note apagón and two sixteenth notes using a down-down-upwardly pattern.
- For beat ii, you'll play two 8th notes. Yous'll play a down stroke apagón and then a regular downwards stroke.
- For beat out three, you'll play ii eighth notes once more with a simple downwards-up strum pattern.

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