A gut-strung 5-string instrument typical of central Mexico, similar to the guitar in shape but with a vaulted back or belly, for added resonance. The instrument is tuned ADGBE.

The vihuela gets its name from the Spanish vihuela of the Renaissance period, which was a type of lute, although the two are very different. The mariachis of Cocula and Ameca used the vihuela instead of the guitarra de golpe during the 1800s.

This instrument gives the mariachi ensemble its unique sound since no other genre of music uses the vihuela. The role of the vihuela is also as a rhythm and chordal accompaniment. In recent recordings, arrangers have made more clever use of the vihuela's capabilities.