When you think about Mexican music, you most likely start thinking about mariachi-type guitar music. Yet Mexican guitar music is much more than that and you can find great European influences from the tunes. The songs also offer plenty of opportunities for guitarists to learn new techniques; this is our top 5 list of Mexican guitar songs.

La Bamba

You’ve most likely heard La Bamba at some point in your life, but might not be aware that it is a great Mexican song. Richie Valens is the great guitarist behind the song and the tune is perfect for beginner guitarists.

The song is upbeat and fun. If you’ve just started playing the guitar, then La Bamba is definitely a great song to practice with. You won’t be using many chords, yet it still teaches you chord progression in a simple and easy way.

Solamente Una Vez

Mexican guitar songs also have plenty of touching songs to play. One of the most famous songs is Solamente Una Vez, which you might know for its English version You Belong to My Heart. Although this song uses chords that are a bit more difficult, it still isn’t anything too difficult to play.

The song is by Agustin Lara and it originally featured in a 1941 film Melodias de America. The song is a so-called bolero song, which refers to a slow tempo Latin music. Lara is one of the most well-known bolero musicians.

Cielito Lindo

Of course, the list should include a traditional mariachi song and Cielito Lindo is one of the most well-known songs of this genre. The song was popularised all the way back in 1882 by Quirino Mendoza y Cortes, but the song has since been recorded by a number of Latin American stars. Interestingly, even a punk band from California has recorded a version of Cielito Lindo.

The tempo and chord progression of the song isn’t impossible to learn, but you might want to give it ago after you’ve practiced with easier tunes first. But Cielito Lindo is definitely a guitar song that offers plenty of room to work with.

Black Guitar

Black Guitar is a Mexican guitar song by the famous Mexican guitarist Oscar Lopez. Again, if you are looking to master this song, you need a bit of practice first, but it is definitely something to try.

Oscar Lopez’ guitar music is full of different influences, which you can hear in Black Guitar as well. It isn’t strictly flamenco music, since there is a hint of jazz and pop music present.

Smooth

You can’t talk about the best Mexican guitar songs without featuring a hit by the great Carlos Santana. When it comes to Mexican guitar music, Santana is definitely at the top. This song is a great guitar song to add to your repertoire and you can even give it a go as you are starting out.

Smooth is a lovely song with fantastic guitar riffs. The song, featuring Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, is slow and smooth, just like the title implies.

So, these are five of the best Mexican guitar songs out there. If you are inspired by the songs or want to learn more about playing the guitar, then remember to check out our guitar lessons!