Best known as “The Mexican Hat Dance,” El Jarabe Tapatío is the official dance of Mexico and has a rich history that dates back hundreds of years!

Jarabe, which translates to syrup, is a term of endearment like calling someone your “sweetie” and is also the generic name for this style of courtship dance. Los Tapatíos are natives of Jalisco, a Mexican state on the Pacific coast. During the dance, the man throws his most prized possession, his sombrero, on the floor. The woman accepts him when she dances on its brim and puts the hat on her own head. (Source)

The main theme of El Jarabe Tapatío is a teacher’s dream and covers so much in such a short amount of time! Harmonically, this song illustrates the tonic-dominant axis, moving between the I chord (the tonic) and the V chord (the dominant). Melodically, we play the full range of the bells from low A up to high d. There are descending motifs, arpeggios and semitone approaches. Rhythmically, there’s a mix of eighth notes and syncopation in a compound duple meter time signature. El Jarabe Tapatío is arranged in the key of F major and includes note names, solfège + MP3 track.

La Cucaracha originally comes from Spain, but has been widely adapted throughout Mexican history. This song is often a vessel for describing or satirizing the current politics of the time. The lyrics cleverly mask the song’s message, using aspects of a fable.

La Cucaracha has evolved over the course of a century, with references dating back to the Mexican Revolution. We’ve kept it much simpler with a repeating line about a cockroach that can’t walk because it lost its two hind legs.If the melody seems jarring at first, take note of the time signature. This version is arranged in 3/4 time though,  most people are probably familiar with the song in 4/4. La Cucaracha is arranged in the key of F Major with lyrics + solfège. It features great melodic leaps, scale patterns and a song form that you’ll want to repeat all day, olé!