Teaching the Mariachi Violin Section

Mack Ruiz is a founding member of world-renowned Mariachi Cobre, and has been a part of the Orlando, Florida-based Walt Disney World Entertainment along with other founding members of Cobre for 25 years, performing at Epcot and promoting music education nationwide. He is the educational coordinator for the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference.

The responsibilities of teaching the mariachi violin section are similar to those of teaching an orchestra or strings program. Your mariachi string curriculum should be well-planned and sequential. As the mariachi strings teacher, your understanding of the National Standards affects the success of your program.

MENC’s publication Strategies for Teaching Strings and Orchestra demonstrates how national standards relate to the instructional process through detailed lesson planning. Teaching strategies and lesson plans outlined in this publication can be adapted to your mariachi string instruction.

As important as national standards are in telling us what every student should know and be able to do, standards are equally important for the teacher.

The National String Teachers Association (ASTA), dedicated to string pedagogy and playing, has established the following string teaching standards. Like most standards, they are voluntary in nature, imply what string teachers should know and be able to do, and may be adapted for use within the mariachi teaching realm.

String Teaching Standards*

As an Educator:

• understand and applies pedagogy for violin
• demonstrate effective rehearsal techniques for strings
• demonstrate the knowledge of repertoire for student performance
• demonstrate skill in arranging music
• demonstrate strategies for integrating music with other disciplines
• understand different student learning styles, levels of maturation, special needs and adapts instruction accordingly
• demonstrate knowledge of comprehensive, sequential K–12 music curricula
• demonstrate understanding of the principles of a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous pedagogical approaches for teaching strings
• demonstrate effective methods of assessing and evaluating student achievement
• know about instrument rental and purchasing
• know current technology for instruction, research and musical applications
• demonstrate ability to develop budgets for equipment and supplies
• demonstrate understanding of the K–12 National Music Education Standards and other state and local standards for music

*For a full list of standards, see www.astaweb.com. From the home page, click on “Site Map” on the right-hand menu. On the map, under “Resources,” click on “String Teaching Standards.”

The challenges that face string teaching in our public school systems are the lack of strings programs, the lack of string instructors, and the lack of support for string programs. Today string programs exist in only 35 percent of our elementary schools, 19 percent of our middle schools, and 31 percent of our high schools. According to ASTA, only one in every five students currently has access to strings programs in our public schools. Because of this, middle school and high school mariachi programs are often faced with the challenge of teaching basic instrument fundamentals to their students.

One thing is certain: fundamental violin pedagogy is essential for your mariachi violin students. Your lesson planning must supply them with violin pedagogy that is well-planned and sequential in nature. When it comes to repertoire, you must select pieces that are within the range of your students’ achievement levels.

Longtime educator Mark Fogelquist, mariachi teacher at Chula Vista High School in Chula Vista, CA, observes that “a mariachi educator must look for music that has impact and matches the technical level of his or her players and singers and that also allows the educator to teach the fundamentals of mariachi style and build technique.” For more information, see “Choosing Appropriate Repertoire” by Mark Fogelquist in MENC’s October Mariachi Newsletter.

In observing mariachi school groups, particularly their violin sections, the most noticeable weaknesses are in the (1) fundamental violin techniques and (2) ensemble performance. As mariachi instructor, your responsibility to continually review the mechanics and techniques of violin performance will keep your students in check. Portion periods of time into your lesson planning to cover the following.

Posture

One of the most corrected fundamentals in young players is imbalanced posture. Posture helps to establish a foundation for violin performance.

Signs of good posture:

• If the student is standing, the feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• The back should be erect, and the weight of the body should be centered.
• The violin should be under the chin and positioned horizontally.

Many students may use a shoulder rest depending on the length of the neck or body type. In cases where the student’s neck is very short, the use of a shoulder rest may not be advised.

Bow Hold

Even though students may be able to demonstrate a classic bow hold, they may tend to lose the hold in the middle of a bow stroke. Make sure to check their bow holds often for correctness. A consistent bow hold will help them achieve straight bowing.

Bow hold fundamentals:

• Place the right thumb on the inside part of the bow where the frog curves.
• Position the three middle fingers on the outside of the bow.
• Position the pinkie on top close to the adjustment screw.
• Position the side of your index finger on the bow hold.

For more information on bow hold, visit www.violinmasterclass.com.

Straight Bowing

Simply telling your students to keep the bow straight isn’t enough. To begin with, no natural body motion allows the bow to travel in a straight line. The straight bow stroke requires that the upper arm, wrists, and elbow make adjustments that allow the bow to travel parallel to the bridge.

In the straight bow stroke, certain geometrical principles are apparent. Try to imagine the violin in position with the bow on the string (1) at the middle of the bow, (2) at the tip of the bow, and (3) at the frog of the bow.

1. Middle of the bow—When the bow stroke is passing through the middle of the bow, a square should form between the sounding point (where the bow lies on the string), the shoulder, the elbow, and the hand.

2. Tip of the bow—When the bow stroke is at the tip of the bow, a triangle should form between the shoulder, the hand, and the sounding point.

3. Frog of the bow—When the bow stroke approaches the frog of the bow, a triangle should form between the shoulder, the elbow, and the hand.

To help the student to visualize the principles of straight bowing, a mirror is useful:

• Have your student stand sideways to the mirror to view bow direction.
• On a down bow, push your elbow forward to keep the bow straight at the tip.
• On an up bow, pull the elbow back as you approach the middle to the frog of the bow.

For more information, visit www.violinmasterclass.com.

The Fundamental Detaché Stroke

Students who have been playing for years often fail to have good or excellent control of the detaché stroke, which is possibly one of the most fundamental bow motions.

Detaché is French, and refers to the motion of smooth separate bows for each note played (in English, it does not mean detached or disconnected). The detaché stroke is used in playing successions of notes that are of equal value. A bow lift is not used at the end of the detaché stroke to change direction.

Once your students improve their detaché stroke, they will improve general bow control, sound projection, and sound consistency in their performance.

Characteristics of the detaché bow stroke:

• Usually performed in the upper half of the bow, but can be used closer to the frog or as a whole bow stroke.
• Notes are played with a constant bow pressure and speed.
• Notes are of equal value and bow length.

The following detaché exercises may be practiced with the use of pieces such as the classic Keuetzer Etude No. 2 or excerpts from mariachi pieces such as the following.

El Tranchete—Mariachi son

Paloma Sin Nido—Mariachi ranchera

Exercise: Play using the upper half to middle of the bow.

Instructions for both exercises:

• Set a metronome to very slow speeds.
• Maintain the bow in a straight motion so that the sounding point does not change.
• On the down bow, move the elbow forward.
• On the up bow, bring the elbow in.
• Check your bow hold often to keep it consistent.

Continually check your student’s bow strokes and make corrections as needed. The student should strive to achieve clear, concise articulation. When your violin section becomes well versed at this stroke and others, they will take steps towards better articulation in their ensemble performance. See www.violinmasterclass.com for more tips.

Group Ensemble Techniques

Vital to successful ensemble performance of the mariachi violin section is its ability to take musical direction from its section leader as well as from other focal points in the mariachi ensemble.

In the orchestral realm, the conductor communicates musical directives to the principals of various sections and their musicians through the use of a baton. The mariachi ensemble shares similar characteristics in that it is an orchestra, with its own instrumental sections and principals, but the mariachi ensemble must operate without a conductor.

Unable to receive directives through the use of a baton in a performance, the mariachi musician must rely upon the more subtle indicators for musical direction. Thus, the use of body movement, eye contact, facial gestures, and breathing become essential for communication in this particular ensemble.

Dr. Lorenzo Francisco Candelaria, professor of musicology at the University of Texas, Austin, has suggested a systematic approach to mariachi ensemble performance through the use of “focal points.”

He states that “once a focal point (section leader or principal) has been established for each section, it becomes the responsibility of each remaining member to focus his/her attention on the section leader. These three focal points are responsible for staying together with one another, and their respective sections are responsible for staying together with them, even in the cases where the principals are slightly off.”

The three main focal points of the mariachi may well be the lead violin, the guitarron player and the lead trumpet. Through time, if these three section leaders, or focal points, can act as a single entity, playing off one another, they will serve as a center point or musical reference for the musicians surrounding them. In the violin section, establishing a musical hierarchy of sorts allows its members to closely follow the cues, bowings, and fingerings of the principal violinist.

Musical Cues

We have all heard some form of the phrase, “the ensemble that breathes together plays together.” Though most associate it with wind players, violin and other sections of the mariachi may find breathing an important aspect of starting pieces and phrases. Here, the lead violinist may use a breath accompanied with an angular down beat, using the scroll of the violin.

For example, a slow bolero in 4/4 time, entering on beat one, may be cued by counting/tapping three quarter notes followed by a quarter note breath, coupled by placing the bow, in a relaxed circular motion on the string and using the scroll of the violin to give an angular down beat. A polka in 2/4 time, entering on beat one, may be cued by counting one quarter note followed by a short expressive quarter note breath, coupled with a sharp angular down beat.

Whether using a count coupled with a gesture or simply giving an angular down beat as used for certain 3/4 and 6/8 sones jalisiences, the cue should always be given in the spirit of the piece that you are about to play. Remember, musicians will tend to respond to the intensity of cues and gestures.

Bowing

For a string section to paint the same musical landscape, it is important for each musician to paint with the same stroke. Violin ensemble performance requires the same bow division
and bow stroke. It only takes one violinist to change the tonal quality of the section by using a different bow approach.

The sounding point or the section of the string used to play upon is also of importance. The closer that you play to the bridge, the brighter timbre is produced. As the sounding point moves closer to the middle and upward towards the fingerboard, the timbre changes to a rounder, then softer sound. All violinists of the mariachi should closely replicate the bow division and bow placement of the principal in a performance. As an instructor, assure that each of your students is well versed in the various bow strokes and techniques that music in your repertoire calls for.

Fingering and Use of Vibrato

The violin section should strive to use the same or similar fingerings and vibratos so that tonal qualities within the section remain the same. If your students are beginning to intermediate students, the chances are that they may be accustomed to playing in the first or third positions. Choose music and fingerings that are appropriate for them. By the same token, it is essential for teachers to challenge students by introducing higher positions.

In preparing for studies of higher positions, review the basic fundamentals for shifting:

• Keep the finger(s) in contact with the string while shifting up and down.
• The thumb should always shift with the fingers.
• Maintain the finger shape and the hand shape throughout the shift.

Vibrato requires varying the speed for certain pieces. For example, a son in 3/4 may require the use of a faster vibrato (or in some cases, very little vibrato at all), whereas a bolero in 4/4 time may call for a slower, wider, and more intense vibrato. The two most practical forms of the vibrato are the arm (or forearm) vibrato and the hand (or wrist) vibrato.

Arm Vibrato—The forearm rapidly moves backwards and forwards, the wrist does not flex.

Hand Vibrato—The forearm remains still, the wrist moves backwards and forwards.

Since vibrato’s purpose is to intensify and enhance musical expression through its technical movements, all members of the section should try to duplicate the expressions of the principal by duplicating the vibrato, thus painting the same musical landscape. For additional vibrato resources, see Essential Technique for Strings, Intermediate Technique Studies, published by Hal Leonard, or visit www.violinmasterclass.com.

As a mariachi educator, you are a strings teacher. The time that you spend researching the various resources currently available for string pedagogy is time well spent. If you are an active member of MENC, ASTA, or one of the many associations advocating the teaching of the arts, access to resources is critical. Through your membership with MENC Mariachi, learn how you may support your own program and mariachi programming nationally.