Norteño is a musical style originally from northern Mexico, as the name suggests (norteño means north in Spanish). Its origin can be traced back to the 1800s and is an example where the sum is greater than the part. Due to the wave of immigration from Mexico and Europe to border towns along the Rio Grande, music styles such as corrido and huapango merged with European rhythms such as polka, waltz, and Schottische, giving birth to Norteño and Tejano music.

Today, Norteño is as diverse as rock, but at its core is the instrument that gives it a unique sound. A typical Norteño orchestra consists of a core set of instruments, such as the accordion and bajo sexto (see below for more details), but may include upright bass, snare drums, and sometimes saxophone or violin.

It wasn't until the 1950s that Norteño became a popular music genre outside of northern Mexico. As groups began to record and perform for more audiences, this style also changed. Today's artists have turned Norteño into a popular urban style, although they will always pay tribute to its rural roots and the music of the people.

In recent years, another variant of Norteño-Sierreño-has become a popular style among young fans and musicians. Originally called "campirano", Sierreño is a Norteño style common in more rural areas of Mexico. It is played by a set of instruments, including a 12-string "melodía" and a 6-string guitar or "armonía", accompanied by a bass instrument, preferably a tuba.

As people become more interested in learning and playing Norteño and Sierreño, the way they use and even make traditional musical instruments has also changed. This evolution is a push and pull between tradition and practicality. To understand how Norteño uses its instruments today, it is important to understand its origins.

The Norteño group all rely on guitar-like instruments called bajo quinto and bajo sexto. The guitar-shaped bass consists of six to five strings. However, it is not entirely clear how these uniquely constructed instruments evolved into their current state.

The origin of bajo sexto can be traced back to the 1800s. Scholars and luthiers believe that these guitars are cross-pollinated by Mexican and European influences. The influence of the Spanish Baroque guitar on Mexico made the "Guitarra Séptima" use a similar design and development for classical guitars. Another type of guitar that uses a similar string arrangement in the history of Mexican music is the "Guitarra Huapanguera". It is said that its influence is not only reflected in its design, but also in the vicinity of the northern area where Norteño was developed.

Guitarra Huapanguera is used for huapangos or regional dance performances, traveling with immigrants, and reaching out to Northern Mexicans and European immigrants. The fusion of German and Czech immigrants who settled in the Texas area with Mexican immigrants will eventually lead to the fusion of musical styles and instruments, which gave birth to the Bajo Six Strings.

Bajo sexto and bajo quinto share the same tuning-standard E, half a step higher for the first two courses-although bajo quinto does not include low E.

With the adoption of electric bass, bajo quinto makes the bass range of bajo sexto redundant. The bajo quinto has a thinner neck, making it easier to string and adjust. In addition, the arrangement of Norteño or "arreglos" remains in the first three strings, while the fourth and fifth strings are relatively unused.

In the early days of Norteño, a bajo sexto player will use the bass accompaniment of the sixth and fifth lessons to take on part of the bass duties, allowing accordion players to show off some of their fancy button work.

In order for bajo quinto and sexto to be considered professional, they probably have to be handmade and customized. However, Sierreño has many options among the instruments manufactured in the factory.

Unlike the bajo quinto, the 12-string guitar is a popular instrument suitable for a wider range of genres. It is popular with blues musicians due to its unique chorus effect and loud projection. Undoubtedly, it is an important part of the history of folk and rock music.

In Sierreño music, the 12-string guitar or requinto is the first choice, partly because of its higher range, allowing the player to approximate the sound of bajo sexto and play the melody arrangement in the form of 16th notes, usually in the first two courses.

Because of this, players prefer guitars with cut corners. To the disdain of many luthiers and manufacturers, players usually swap out the stock string sets and match the string gauges for all six courses—that is, for pairs of strings that are one octave apart, Instead of using thinner string gauges, each set of two strings is the same.

This modification adds more pressure to the bridge and neck, and it is usually necessary to modify the nut, compensate the neck, and reinforce the bridge with after-sales products.

After the tragic death of Sierreño star Ariel Camacho, the genre’s popularity among young players soared. His love for matching the 12-string and 6-string of the Takamine Pro series in ensembles has made Takamine the brand of choice for Sierreño enthusiasts.

Since the popularity of Sierreño has only recently become popular, even in Mexico, only a few companies have addressed this niche market. With the development of the Sierreño guitar and its presence in the mainstream, it has not yet solidified into an instrument that can be mass-produced.

Behind the iconic sounds of Norteño and Sierreño is the craftsmanship of the luthier who makes high-quality instruments. However, these styles are not popular in other parts of Mexico, and luthiers from more southern states (such as Michoacán) must learn how to make them. Their skills are formed by making mariachi instruments such as vihuelas and guitarists, which makes it possible to add bajo sextos to their works, especially as the demand for them continues to increase.

Today's bajo sexto players, whether they are novices, professionals or people in between, have many options to choose from. But the quality, sound and playability of handmade bajo is still unparalleled.

Norteño music is closely related to live performances. Therefore, it is a common practice to learn to use cheap bajo sexto and choose small performances to upgrade the line. Mass-produced bajo, usually made in Asia, is attractive to players because of its quality, playability, and price. In the United States, companies such as Oscar Schmidt, Hohner, and Paracho Elite provide high-quality bajo sextos and quintos at reasonable prices, ranging from US$250 to US$600.

For many people, the journey does not end until they obtain a handmade bajo sexto or quinto from a famous luthier. Today, players can choose from a wide range of options. Some people prefer the traditional look, while others are very creative and inject their own personality into their instruments.

Structurally, the traditional bajo sexto uses natural finishes on the wider body and neck, with a single cut and rope binding, while the modern bajo sexto combines many years of tradition with modern upgrades. The traditional piano body is designed to project sound in the room and perform heavy playing and arrangement. Modern bajo quintos tend to have thinner bodies, more comfortable neck contours and movements, and truss rods. Usually, the design concept of modern bajo is to equip them with pickups.

As far as Sierreño is concerned, the choices are limitless, because the 12-string guitar is already a mass-produced instrument. The inadvertent recognition of companies such as Takamine by famous musicians has made it the guitar of choice for Sierreño players, but brands such as Oscar Schmidt, Fender, Breedlove and Dean have also become the first choice for providing excellent sound quality 12-string guitars that are durable enough to withstand Sierreño Revise.

The future of Sierreño guitars may not follow the same trajectory as bajo sexto, because the number of customized Sierreño guitars is far less popular than customized bajo guitars. On the contrary, factory-made bajo still has a long way to go to meet the quality and craftsmanship of experienced luthiers, but we are at an exciting time for more people around the world to understand and enjoy these instruments.

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