Bajo quinto tuning is essential to playing this instrument effectively and requires special arrangement of twelve strings in six double courses.
Original intended as accompaniment for accordion players in Northern Mexican, Norteno and Tex-Mex music known as Conjunto, its primary role being providing its distinctive “boom chang rhythm and floating melodies”.
Getting Started
Bajo quintos are an iconic 12-string Mexican bass guitar. A staple in Norteno music, these instruments boast an unique sound created by blending both bass and baritone lead guitar elements into one instrument – providing players with warm deep bass parts as well as complex and melodic lead guitar solos. Many luthiers have adopted this setup and created instruments which offer players both warm deep bass parts with intricate lead guitar solos for an exceptional playing experience.
Bajo quintos originally featured two lower pairs of strings with twelve total, six double courses. Due to the proliferation of bass players, many musicians no longer used these lowest strings; eventually this led to its close relative, the bajo sexto; this now only contains 10 strings (five double courses).
The bajo sexto is similar to an acoustic guitar in its overall appearance and construction. While modern bajos resemble twelve string models more closely, old bajo quintos had deeper bodies with shorter necks containing the ten frets; cutaways for additional fret access were usually absent and these instruments tended to be stronger than modern counterparts.
Players looking for a bajo quinto tuning should start by purchasing an appropriate set of strings. While there are various brands on the market, D’Addario XTAPB1047 Acoustic String Pack can provide exactly that – specifically made for acoustic bass guitars, these 10-47 strings allow each pair to be tuned an octave apart so as to achieve that sound associated with bajo sexto tunings.
After you’ve acquired your set of strings, it’s time to start learning how to play! The process is relatively straightforward and can easily be accomplished in any home environment. Select the third course of strings and tune your tuner so they sound an octave higher than usual – an A in the pitch scale would do nicely here.
Once you’ve mastered the third course of strings, move onto the fourth and fifth. Again, these should be tuned an octave higher than normal to A and E respectively.
Tuning
Along with your ears and a quality tuner, a good tuner is also required for successful tuning of the bajo sexto. Digital tuners typically display red lights for flat notes and green ones for sharp ones; when tuning a bajo sexto it is recommended that first and last course (two bottom strings of instrument) should be tuned simultaneously in unison; this will give an indication of how other strings should be tuned later on. When tuning additional strings after this initial course has been established you can move onto other ones accordingly.
Bajo sextos are frequently employed to accompany accordion and fiddle players in Northern Mexican, Norteno and Tex-Mex music known as Conjunto. The bajo sexto provides both the pulsating bass part as well as punchy guitar chords which complement the floating melodies played on accordion and fiddle instruments.
There is a range of bajo sextos available on the market, with some featuring traditional designs while others being more contemporary. No matter which one you decide on, make sure it comes from a reliable luthier that offers guarantees as well as advice on how best to maintain and care for it.
When shopping for a bajo sexto, look for an affordable handmade instrument with excellent sound that will provide years of use. Some luthiers have been crafting bajo sextos for generations! Aside from sound, consider searching out designs that make an impression during gigs and performances.
When purchasing a bajo quinto, some features that should be on your checklist are striped binding, pearloid rosette, and rear facing pearl tuning pegs. The Paracho Elite Morelia offers all these characteristics and more with its single cut body featuring natural finish, brilliant striped binding, Native American bead work rosette and solid cedar build that emits rich tones to wow audiences on stage.
Requirements
As budding musicians evolve and transition to becoming professionals, it is common practice for them to hire the services of an expert luthier to commission an instrument tailored specifically for their unique playing style and preferences. This tradition of customization is especially prominent within Mexican music where an emphasis is placed on personalized craftsmanship; thus bajo sexto and quinto guitars often feature special bridge designs as well as decorative embellishments that combine function and aesthetic value; these customizations inspired the development of requinto 12-string guitars which omitting two strings altogether from traditional bajo sexto setups.
As well as using a requinto-style setup, many professional luthiers prefer lower action (the distance between string and fretboard) on their guitars for smooth maneuverability across the fretboard and reduced tension through lighter string gauges for reduced tension resulting in more responsive and full-bodied tone quality.
When exploring the world of 10-string bajos, tuning properly is of utmost importance. To do this, strumming two courses of strings at once while adjusting tuning pegs until your digital tuner shows an F note; any sharp or flat notes should be adjusted counterclockwise while clockwise adjustments will remedy a string that sounds sharp or flat.
Conjunto music in Norteno music typically employs sixto or quinto bajos in tandem with accordions or fiddle players to produce its signature duo harmony; accordions provide boom chang rhythms and floating melodies while bass runs provided by the bajo act as the foundation of this ensemble. This form of harmony has become a standard part of Norteno musical performances.
Since bassists had recently entered this genre, some players attempted to achieve a clearer sound by forgoing one pair of strings from their 12-string bajos; thus giving rise to the Requinto style 12-string Bajo, which effectively removed its lower E course from traditional bajo sexto models.
Accessories
Even for novice and veteran players alike, the bajo quinto offers many accessories designed to enhance your playing experience. Bridge designs and string gauge options allow for plenty of customization opportunities, while many musicians also utilize detuning methods or capos, which allow them to change its overall pitch without adding extra strings or altering tuning pegs.
The bajo quinto is a Mexican folk instrument similar to an oversized guitar, featuring five doubled courses of strings for a total of ten strings. It may have originated as an Italian chitarra battente which was brought over during Mexico’s baroque period and plays like its counterpart with emphasis on lower bass strings. It is typically played using a pick and has special emphasis on these.
It was originally designed to complement accordion players, providing a wide range of possibilities with only two musicians. This dynamic is still commonplace today in regional Mexican styles such as huapangos. Furthermore, this instrument predated its close relative the bajo sexto with only 12 strings (six double courses).
Many musicians opt to remove the lower E course in order to produce a clearer sound, making their instrument easier to pair with bass guitars or electric basses in Tex-Mex music.
While initially used in Norteno music of northern Mexico, the bajo quinto eventually crossed over into Texas where it quickly gained popularity among musicians of a range of genres – particularly Tejano music from South Texas – which combined elements from both Mexican and American cultures into what is commonly referred to as Tex-Mex or conjunto music.
Luthiers and manufacturers who specialize in producing this distinctive instrument vary significantly in style. Some may opt for more classic approaches while others add their own signature style into each creation. Some of the more innovative luthiers have even integrated acoustic-electric pickup systems into their instruments to enable players to plug them into an amplifier for playback.