What instruments are in a mariachi band?

Violins, trumpets and guitars, plus the vihuela, a small high-pitched guitar, and the guitarrón, a very big bass guitar; traditional groups played strings only and the modern mariachi added trumpets. Musicians wear the charro suit with silver buttons and play rancheras, corridos and serenades.

The band, piece by piece

Strings

  • los violines violins
  • las guitarras guitars
  • la vihuela a small, high-pitched guitar
  • el guitarrón the very big bass guitar — -ón makes a word bigger, and masculine.

Brass

  • las trompetas trumpets — UNESCO: an addition of the modern mariachi to the string ensemble.

The dress

  • el traje de charro the horseman's suit, with silver buttons

The repertoire

  • la ranchera ranchera song
  • el corrido a ballad about battles, deeds and love affairs
  • el bolero ranchero the ranchero bolero
  • la serenata serenade
  • Las mañanitas the birthday song, sung at dawn
  • A mariachi band has violins, trumpets and guitars, plus a vihuela and a guitarrón, a very big guitar; the musicians wear the charro suit with silver buttons.
  • Traditional mariachi groups play stringed instruments; the modern mariachi adds trumpets, violins, the vihuela and the guitarrón, a bass guitar, in ensembles of four or more. The costume is adapted from the charro costume.
  • The repertoire includes regional songs, jarabes, waltzes, serenades and corridos, and the modern mariachi has added rancheras, the bolero ranchero and the Colombian cumbia.
Un grupo de mariachi tiene violines, trompetas y guitarras.

A mariachi band has violins, trumpets and guitars.

Los músicos llevan el traje de charro, con botones de plata.

The musicians wear the charro suit, with silver buttons.

More about Mariachi

Sources

  1. Los mariachis de Garibaldi — The Mariachis of Garibaldi Square
  2. Mariachi, string music, song and trumpet — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage