The history of the bajo sexto is characterized by its enigmatic origins. While limited historical documentation exists regarding its creation, compelling evidence suggests European influence. In particular, in the "mid-to-late 1800s", a German music store chain had branches throughout Mexico, including Oaxaca, part of a substantial migration of Germans to southern Texas during the 1830s and 1840s. The musical styles and instruments of these German immigrants were embraced by Mexicans, who incorporated both into their own musical practices and traditions. Among the instruments that gained widespread popularity, the accordion emerged as one of the most influential. It found extensive use in dance music genres such as waltzes and polkas. The affordability of accordions made them accessible to a wide range of musicians, enabling them to explore Western music theory and develop their own interpretations of songs, ideal for solo performances. While orchestras were popular in the early 19th century, they were far from common. The combination of accordions with bajo sextos introduced a versatile harmonic capability to folk musicians, allowing a simple duo to arrange and realize diverse styles of music, including popular songs which were previously the reserve of orchestras. The bajo sexto contributed a robust bass element, while establishing a firm rhythm that permitted the accordion to venture into intricate and lyrical melodic lines, often harmonized. This dynamic collaboration became a hallmark of Norteño music. The addition of bass players provided bajo sexto players with opportunities to take turns leading melodic lines, enriching the texture of Mexican Norteño music. Many musicians relished the creative freedom afforded by bass players so much, they commissioned custom 10-string models, now recognized as the bajo quinto, which omitted the two lowest strings. This evolution underscores the adaptability and innovation within the realm of Mexican Norteño music. Norteño did not become a popular genre outside of the northern parts of Mexico until the 1950s. As groups began to record and perform for larger audiences, the style evolved as well. The exact history of the bajo sexto is somewhat unclear. There are few written sources, and until very recently, most music dictionaries and encyclopedias did not mention the instrument. A few contemporary researchers have been working from oral sources—living players and luthiers—to trace the background of the instrument. They descend from the Spanish bandurrias and lutes that used double strings and were also tuned in fifths, perhaps to complete the harmonies in ensembles that required an instrument capable of giving the low notes of the harmonization of a melody. Near the end of the 19th century the bajo sexto began to migrate northwards, where it became a popular instrument for weddings and dances such as the
bailes de regalos (popular between 1870 and 1930). In these settings, it was usually played along with a set of small
tom-tom drums. The 1930s saw the rise of
conjunto music and the instruments of choice for this developing style were accordion and bajo sexto. At this time the bajo sexto functioned primarily as a bass instrument, providing a strong rhythmic foundation supporting the solo accordion. In the late 1940s, string bass (and later, electric bass) was added to the instruments, and in the 1950s, drums, completing the modern conjunto ensemble. The inclusion of bass and drums freed the bajo sexto from exclusively rhythmic bass duties, and bajo players began experimenting with chords, counter rhythms, and melodic lines. As the popularity of conjunto spread northward, the bajo sexto went with it, and the instrument was taken up by musicians in
Northern Mexico and
Texas to play other forms of music:
norteño music of Northern Mexico and across the border in the music of
South Texas known as "
Tejano" (or Tex-Mex), "
conjunto", or "música mexicana-tejana". The Bajo Sexto is a Transposing instrument, it reads in Treble Clef but sounds 2 Octaves lower than written, thus Middle C sounds as C2. ==Construction and tuning==