PRE-HISPANIC MUSIC OF MEXICO: ORIGINS, TYPES, INSTRUMENTS - HISTORY - 2025

The pre-Hispanic music of Mexico was quite developed by Mesoamerican cultures before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Countless archaeological finds show that there were solidly structured human settlements in America.

The remains found by archaeologists show that the indigenous inhabitants displayed multiple skills in rhythmic, melodic and harmonic creation. The development of pre-Hispanic societies took place economically, socially and culturally, with a very high level of mysticism, symbolism and philosophy.

In Mexico the Nahuals were located in the central zone and the Mayans in the southern part. For their part, the Totonacas, the Oaxacans and the Olmecs were along the Gulf; and the Tarascas were in the West.

Study of pre-Hispanic societies through music

The Nahuatl language was the one used by the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of Mexico. Tlatzotzonaliztli ("music" in Spanish) is one of the richest areas of study to date; in fact, even today it is being explored within pre-Hispanic studies.

Many excavations have been carried out in the region and the instruments found have been very varied. However, there are no written records of pre-Columbian sound art in the Mexican region.

Exceptions to the foregoing are some references based on ideograms recorded in codices, murals and travel stories written by the Spanish. However, it is presumed that pre-Hispanic music was based on a five-note scale; that is, it was pentatonic.

Communication with the gods

The initial settlers of what is now known as Mexico considered musical performance as a direct means of communication with their gods and the deceased. Music and song had their god: Xochipilli.

The strong religiosity of the inhabitants gave the songs and rhythms esoteric properties of protection, invocation and strength. It was also inducer of hypnotic states that allowed to achieve the propitious trance for spiritual elevation; for this reason, music was considered a sacred art.

Music was played for purposes deeper than mere entertainment. It served at the same time as a motivating, unifying element and with strong convening power, so much so that its teaching was imparted to young people of both sexes in enclosures specially designed for that purpose.

Formal teaching

These places were called tepochcalli, which is translated as "youth house." Later, the wealthiest moved to more specialized educational spaces called calmecac.

The training was aimed at relief artists who wanted to train as conductors (ometochtli). It was also aimed at those who wanted to be a guardian, who was the one who made sure that a musical piece was performed without mistakes (tlapizcatzin).

In addition, training was given in song composition (cuicapicque), for snail and flute (tlamacazque), for performer or for percussion and singing (quaquacuiltzin).

In addition, in the main temples they had a group of people who strengthened the musical performance; these were the maintenance people and fire preservatives (mixcoatzalotla).

Varied exhibits

Song, dance, poetry and music had a unifying and mystical character. In the acts and ceremonies all the settlers met and carried out these arts at the same time.

The players of some instrument had a rigorous preparation, since any error in their interpretation was punishable by death; any mistake was considered offensive towards the divinities.

However, to compensate for this degree of exigency, they were also honored with social distinctions; the latter made them stand out from the rest of the settlers.

Privileges

They were identified with the string they carry on their heads (mecatl). These allowed them to enjoy certain privileges, such as tax exemption and the option of receiving special hierarchies in the temples. Despite this, they continued to be subordinate to the chief lords of the tribes.

The gadgets used to make music also received special treatment. They were revered and sheltered in special locations called mixcoacalli ("house of fire") because they were considered ceremonial objects in Tenochtitlán.

The European expeditionaries insisted on erasing, with atrocious practices of unthinkable violence, the indigenous dances, songs and ceremonies. However, the influence of this legacy is still preserved in current popular demonstrations.

Origins of music

According to mythology, the birth of music in Mexican lands is the product of a sacred gift. According to the legends, the god of the wind, Ehécatl, was in charge of summoning the musical cadences.

He brought them from the abode of the sun, which the Nahuatl called Tonatiuhichan, a heavenly space where beings blessed with musical abilities lived. This antecedent allows us to understand the importance of this activity in their ceremonial acts.

Origin in Mexico

To speak of an exact date that determines the creation of the first musical performance in Mexico would be speculative. It is presumed that the first human groups must have taken their initial steps in music from the development of languages, whose oral performance was characterized by having marked tonal contrasts.

Modulations when speaking, accompanied by percussions generated by the body (tapping with hands and feet), must have been the primary elements that gave rhythm and melody to the ancestral music of the Mexica.

Later, other pieces were incorporated to reproduce sounds that would imitate those of nature, such as bird songs, various moans of animal mating, rain and thunder. Over the years, instruments were created for the realization of more stylized sounds.

These sounds could communicate ideas, moods, motivate groups for work or war. Through its rhythms and melodies, the inhabitants of the Mexican lands responded, prayed and celebrated nature, plants to produce fruit, clouds to rain and the gods to be benevolent.

Types

Creativity and ingenuity gave rise to primitive instruments made with shapes inspired by nature (croissants, animal heads and flowers, among others) made with various materials of animal, mineral and plant origin.

Some of these shapes were flutes made from pierced femurs, bone whistles to emulate animal sounds, animal-shaped clay ocarinas, and animal-shaped clay pots.

When the latter were filled with a certain amount of water, they generated peculiar sounds by letting the air currents enter and leave through strategic holes.

In the same way they built rattles from hard shell fruits, emptying their content, curing them and filling them with seeds to invoke the gods of the rain.

Other materials used for the manufacture of sound implements were tortoise shells, deer horns, animal helmets, and mollusk shells of different sizes.

The large snails were used as trumpet and the small ones were woven in a row on bracelets, anklets and necklaces that served as rattles, marking the rhythm with the movement of the body when dancing.

Loudness and temples

The musical development evidenced in the first communities was parallel to the development of their temples, since as the ceremonial spaces were refined to perform their rituals, the structures of the objects destined for sound production became more complex.

Thus, you can find trumpets made with snails. These were used to make long-range calls and summon communities to make an appearance in collective rituals.

Prehispanic musical instruments

Percussive

Teponatztli

This was a kind of xylophone made from a trunk that was carved and hollowed inside; then their ends were sealed with various materials.

It has openings and tabs that allow you to vary the vibrations and volume of the instrument. It was played with rudimentary drumsticks made of stick and rubber on the edge.

Huéhuetl

It was also made of wood to be used vertically. It had feline fur on the top and was very similar to the drums from some parts of Africa and the Caribbean.

Timpani

These were made with decorative reliefs.

Yacachtli

A kind of rattles shaped like a poppy flower.

Tzicahuiztl

It was a type of resonator made from human bones.

Of wind

Tlapitzalli

They were flutes made of clay. When they were blown, they generated very high-pitched sounds.

Huilacapiztli

Type of flute shaped like a dove.

Topitz

Variety of flute with three holes.

Xicallis

Clay pots with water content to produce musical sounds.

Ocarina

Instrument made of clay with a variable number of holes. When blowing it emits a variety of sounds.

Tzicahastrli

It was a kind of charrasca or guiro made from human femur, with serial incisions that are made to sound by rubbing.

Atecocolli

Sea snail shell, modified with a nozzle-like cut, which produces a powerful sound by vibration when blowing.

Its role in pre-Hispanic music is fundamental, since it is considered the creative sound of gods and men on Earth, and it symbolizes fertility and the rebirth of the spirit.

References

1. Both, A. (2016) Prehispanic music. Ritual sounds throughout history. Mexican Archeology Nro 94. Recovered from: arqueologiamexicana.mx
2. Climent, A (2011) Education in values, Music. Recovered from: educatube.es
3. Madrid, J. (2016) Music and ritual songs of the ancient indigenous people. More than Mx. Recovered from: masdemx.com
4. Marco, E. (2015) Pre-Hispanic Music before the arrival of the Spanish. Percussion Blog Daniel Martin Sticks & Mallets. Recovered from: danielmartin-mallets.com
5. Marroquín, G. (2004). General aspects of pre-Hispanic music perceived through its images. Autonomous University of Nuevo León. Recovered from: eprints.uanl.mx