These step-by-step requinto lessons and requinto classes teach the lead lines you hear in corridos and sierreño on the 12-string guitar, starting from your very first chord. No reading music, no prior experience.
The word means two different instruments, so it is worth being clear before you spend any money.
| Sierreño requinto (this course) | Trio requinto | |
|---|---|---|
| Instrument | 12-string guitar, called a docerola | Small 6-string guitar, tuned a fourth higher |
| Music | Corridos, sierreño, tumbados, norteño | Boleros, trios, romantic music |
| Origin | Northwestern Mexico: Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango | Invented in the 1940s by Alfredo Gil of Trío Los Panchos |
| The job | Playing the lead runs, the requinteo, over guitar and tololoche | Playing intros and answers between vocal lines |
If you came here for the trio requinto and boleros, this is not the course for you. If you want to play the lead lines in corridos on a 12-string, keep reading.
Most guitar courses teach you chords and leave you there. This one takes you to the thing people actually want: playing the requinto, the lead part everyone recognizes.
| Private teacher | Requinto From Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $30–$60 an hour | $19.99 a month |
| Availability | Scheduled, weekly | Any time, any day |
| Language | Whatever they speak | English and Spanish, switch anytime |
| Tools | Bring your own | Tuner, metronome, chord maps, tabs you can slow down |
| Style | Few teach sierreño | Built only for this music |
A teacher is still better for one thing: someone watching your hands. If you have a good local requinto teacher, take lessons and use this between them.
Few local guitar teachers teach sierreño requinto on the docerola, which is exactly why this course was built: to give you a clear path through the chords, rhythms and lead runs used in this music. A teacher watching your hands is still valuable, especially for correcting tension or technique. If you find a good local requinto teacher, this course can support the work you do with them.
Chord diagrams everywhere else are drawn for six strings. Yours are drawn for six pairs, with the finger for each pair, because that is what you are actually holding. If you only have a six-string, everything still applies.
13 courses, 79 lessons, in English and Spanish. Chord maps drawn for 12 strings, tabs you can slow down, scales and endings in every key. The first lesson of every course is free.
Try a free lesson See the courses