Piano tutorial

How to Play "Canción Del Mariachi" by Los Lobos & Antonio Banderas on Piano

“Canción Del Mariachi” is in E minor, 3/4 time, at 168 BPM. This lesson teaches a simple version of the song: the melody in your right hand and easy chords in your left, one phrase at a time. The song has 12 phrases, and 3 of them repeat ones you will already know.

  • E minor
  • 3/4
  • 168 BPM
  • Medium
  • Melody + easy chords
Starts with Phrase 1: Melody12 phrases

Free to play. Unlock the song or go Premium to download the printable Practice Pack.

Play the full songDownload to practice offline

What you need to know

Read from the song's own melody and chords. The left hand is kept simple on purpose.

Key and scale

E minor

1 sharp: F#

EF#GABCD#

The lesson plays the harmonic form of the scale.

The E harmonic minor scale

Time signature

3/4

3 beats in every bar, at 168 BPM

It starts with a short pickup before the first full bar.

The chords you play

The song uses 3 chords. You learn them a phrase at a time: Em, B and Am.

Some chords are simplified on purpose: the lesson plays B where the sheet music writes B7.

As the sheet music writes them

Your left hand for this song

Slow arpeggio

We'll use this simple left-hand pattern to accompany the melody: low, middle, high, one note a beat. One note a beat keeps it calm at this tempo.

One easy shape per chordOptional, on steps 2 and 3Easier: Beat chords

Right hand

The melody

The tune the singer sings, one note at a time, with finger numbers.

Range E4 to F#5Phrase by phrase

The lesson, step by step

3 short steps for each phrase of the song. Each one opens in the lesson player, so you can listen and play along on your own piano.

Every step is free to play
  1. Start hereRight hand

    Step 1: Melody

    Listen, then play the tune with your right hand, with finger numbers.

    Open this step
  2. Left hand

    Step 2: Chords

    Your left hand learns this phrase's chords: a bass note, block chords, or a simple pattern.

    Open this step
  3. Both hands

    Step 3: Hands together

    The melody with your left hand's chords under it. When you can play this, you can play the phrase.

    Open this step
  4. Then play the whole song

    When you can play every phrase, play the full sheet music with its backing track in the player.

    Play the full song

Frequently asked questions

What key is “Canción Del Mariachi” in?

“Canción Del Mariachi” is in E minor, which has 1 sharp: F#. The lesson plays the harmonic form of the E minor scale: E, F#, G, A, B, C and D#.

What are the chords in “Canción Del Mariachi”?

The lesson plays 3 chords, one easy shape each: Em, B and Am. As the sheet music writes them: Em, B7 and Am. Some chords are simplified on purpose: the lesson plays B where the sheet music writes B7.

What should my left hand play in “Canción Del Mariachi”?

First your left hand learns each phrase's chords on its own, then with the melody. It plays a bass note or a block chord when the chord changes, or a simple pattern: you choose, and the same choice stays on both steps.

What tempo is “Canción Del Mariachi”?

“Canción Del Mariachi” plays at 168 BPM in 3/4. Every step starts at the song's tempo, and you can slow it down as much as you need.

Is “Canción Del Mariachi” hard to play on piano?

It is rated Medium: a good next step once you can play a few easy songs. The melody goes from E4 up to F#5. The lesson teaches a simple version: the melody and one easy chord shape at a time in the left hand.

Where can I get the sheet music for “Canción Del Mariachi”?

Play the full sheet music free in the interactive player, or download a printable PDF. Unlock the song or go Premium to download the printable Practice Pack. It is this lesson on paper, with fingering, one left-hand style per PDF.

Sheet music in the playerDownload the PDFThe Practice Pack