Mariachi Field Notes (Mi Tierra)

Kelli's Field Notes 10/3/06

Event: Mi Tierra Rehearsal 7:30 PM @ the Guitarron player’s house.

When Ian, Seong and I arrived at the location of this rehearsal, Ian knocked on the door and checked to make sure we were at the correct location. We were, thankfully, and we were welcomed in hospitably. Our “In” person had not arrived yet, (and I think had maybe forgotten to mention that we were coming) so it felt a little awkward at first, but once we started chatting with the homeowners everyone seemed more at ease. Ian and Seong had met the band before (I believe), but I had been unable to attend due to scheduling, so everything was completely new to me.

They had just moved into this new house of theirs because one of their children had just had a baby and they let them move in to their house while they found another house to rent for awhile, so they were still getting used to everything that needs getting used to when moving into a new home. They invited us to sit on the couches in the living room, and we did for a bit, but Ian eventually moved himself and the video camera to the kitchen to avoid taking up too much space since the band was fairly large. The man of the house left the room for a while and his wife (at least I’m pretty sure she was his wife. I never really asked) stayed in the living room to talk with Seong and I. She works for TNM&O Busses and we talked about that for a minute or two, since I’ve been on numerous trips with that company. It was nice to have something to talk about just to break the ice.

When the Guitarron player returned, Ian, Seong and I proceeded to ask them a few questions just to clarify a few things for us before we started observing. I asked how they learn their music, whether it is by ear or from notation. For Mi Tierra, the mariachi music is learned by both notation and by ear. They often read from scores and parts until everything is memorized. Ian asked about something he heard during his last field work experience, about how rushing the 2nd beat in a ¾ pattern makes a cool groove, but the guitarron player informed us that it was just rushing and not intended. Seong asked what kind of events they typically play at. They play at River Smith on Thursday nights, Mar y Tierra (sp?) on Friday nights, and parties, quinceneras, weddings, etc.

We also learned that the group started playing together somewhere in 1997-1998. The Guitarron player began playing in a family group but left due to artistic disagreements and started Mi Tierra. He then left Mi Tierra due to more artistic differences and the group disbanded, then he re-claimed the name and started recruiting new members. He is the only original member. This particular group of players started playing together approximately 6 years ago, in 2000.

Two violinists and two trumpet players soon arrived so that there was enough of an ensemble to begin the rehearsal. The lighting was very bright (because it was a rehearsal) and the atmosphere was overall very relaxed and low-stress.

Eventually, all of the ensemble was there, making them 3 violins, 2 trumpets, 1 guitar, 1 vihuela, and one guitarron strong (and I should note here that the guitarron player also plays violin, though he did not rehearse with it this time). The rehearsal was run very much like any other ensemble rehearsal or classical rehearsal with attention to pitch, technique, intonation, harmonic and chordal analysis, and steady tempo. All of the players seem to be proficient (if not very very talented) on their instruments, and have a certain degree of technical virtuosity. All of the players have nice technique and a consistent tone quality. They also seem to be extremely knowledgeable about what they are doing. There is definitely more to mariachi than what is seen on the riverwalk in San Antonio. The behind-the-scenes work is very elaborate.



During the rehearsal, one of the violinists re-wrote the bowing for one of their pieces. There are a lot of double-stops and chord things happening with the bowed strings. (I’m not sure what to call them because of my limited knowledge of stringed instruments). They follow the bass for the tempo. This was addressed a few times. The violins are the only ones using music at this rehearsal. I don’t know if it is because they are seeing this music for the first time and the others have it memorized already or if it is a lack of personal practice or if the other players are just picking it up by ear. I will make a note to ask for the next time we observe this band.

A few notes about the music and the playing technique: Mariachi makes extensive use of vibrato. The players also stop often to sing. They pay close attention to what is written, but there is also room for interpretation. The music is usually polyphonic. There are complex rhythmic motives (like a 3/4 to 6/8 feel). The guitar and vihuela players strum on the finger board.

One of the trumpet players left at 8:45. We left at 8:50, thanking the ensemble for letting us sit in and observe. They continued their rehearsal after we left.