SEARCH BY SONG FORM
- Ballad, love song. Adapted from the popular in the 40’s with “Trio Style” ensembles featuring more complicated and highly stylized harmonic and vocal accompaniment.
- Characteristic 4/4 rhythm with ostinato guitarrón/armonía
- Perhaps the most traditional song form from the mariachi genre.
- Has both instrumental and versed songs in this form, mostly in major keys. Some minor key sections exist.
- Most mariachis consider this in 3/4, some will say alternating 3/4 and 6/8, some ethnomusicologists say 12/8, due to the alternating rhythmic pattern. Traditionally performed with dancers.
- There are different regional styles with the mariachi region itself.
- Several identifying musical factors:(more)
- Not from the traditional mariachi genre. Originally from the Huastec region on the eastern region of México, now popularized in mariachi.
- Radio broadcasts are responsible for broadening the invisible “borders” of regional Mexican folk forms as well as international popular forms.
- The huapango has alternating rhythmic patterns similar to the son jaliscience.
- The popular ranchera are songs from the heart, singing about love for someone, lost love, patriotic love (both national and local), nature and environment, etc.
- The traditional ranchera can be 3/4, 2/4 or 4/4. Contemporary rancheras include compositions with a mixture of a single ranchera rhythm and a son jaliscience or huapango rhythms. (These can be referred to as “canciones”.)
- The ranchera is a simple song form with instrumental introduction, verse and/or refrain, return to the instrumental interlude, verse and/or refrain and tag ending. Majority in major keys.
- Each ranchera meter has a specific tradtional tag phrase ending and tag song form ending. (more)
- Traditionally from the northern part of México, they are instrumental and played slightly faster than their German ancestor.
- Traditionally played for dancing.
- 2/4 rhythm.
- Traditionally from the northern part of México, similar to its European ancestor, the schottische .
- Instrumental.
- Characteristic rhythmic pattern
- Popularized during the French Intervention, many mariachis performed classical overtures. Became part of the traditional repertory.
- Some of the more popular pieces: “Las Bodas de Luís Alonso”, “The Poet and the Peasant”, “Light Calvary Brigade”, “The Dance of the Hours” etc.
- Of the most traditional song forms from the mariachi genre.
- “Jarabe” in spanish means “syrup” and probably refers to the “mixture” of meters within one jarabe. Typically, a jarabe will go from a 6/8 to others sections with 3/4, 2/4, return to 6/8 and end in another meter.
- Although today the jarabes are instrumental songs only, it is said that the jarabe is a medley of favorite regional sones and canciones of their era. Many jarabes have a town or area in the name, i.e. “Jarabe Tapatío” (“Tapatío” is something or someone from the city of Guadalajara) that identifies which region it is from.
- Traditionally performed with dancers.
- The 6/8 rhythmic pattern is a constant pattern with no contratiempos as in the son Jaliscience.
- Similar to the ranchera in introduction, verse (yet has NO refrain) remates and tag endings.
- Majority are in 3/4.
- Differentiated by the song content. Typically, the corrido (similar to a ballad) tells a story and may identify who, where, when, what and why in the verse.
- Used to preserve historical tales during the revolution, although some stories are “tall tales”!