The Spaniards found that, in contrast to the role of art in European culture-to evoke an aesthetic experience-the role of art in the Mexican cultures was spiritual. The indigenous Mexican (Aztec or other) did not sing to display his skill or knowledge, or to entertain spectators, but rather to appease the ancestral gods. Music and dance formed an essential part of the indigenous rites and ceremonies. Religion was closely intertwined with everything the Aztecs did in their daily life.

Research about music of the Aztec people dates back to the writings of Bernal de Castillo (1492-1581), who was appalled by the music of these people because he viewed it during their ritualistic sacrifices, which were very different from rituals of Christian worship. Others, such as the Franciscan monk Fray Bernardino de Sahugan and the Dominican monk Diego Duran, were able to look at the music from different viewpoints, noting the unique instruments and the qualities of pitch and harmony that were achieved with these instruments-new sounds to their ears.

Here is a list of instruments used, with their Náhuatl names(probably some of these are still used today!)

Percussion Instruments

Ayacahtli - gourd-shaped rattles with seeds, beads, pebbles inside.
Áyotl - Tortoise shell, pair of prongs on the belly side which were struck with pieces of antlers
Cacalachtli - clay rattle.
Chicahuaztli - long rattle sticks, ending in a jagged joint, used only in religious ceremonies.
Chililitli or caililiztli - copper disks of cornetts, flutes, conch shells, and of a metal gong, struck with a metal hammor, or more likely, pine mallets.
Coyolli - jingles made of various materials, including clay, nutshells, dried fruit;worn as dancer's necklaces, bracelets, anklets.
Huehtl - cylindrical wooden drum which sat on three legs; the top covered with stretched animal hideand the bottom open. Played with fingers. Could also be made of clay instead of wood.The most revered instrument.
Omichicahuaztli - striated bones of deer, played by scraping with smaller bones.
Tecomapiloa - gourd drum hit with rubber-tipped sticks; a women's instrument.
Teponaztli - hollowed-out wooden cylinder laid sideways and hit by rubber-tipped mallets, producing two pitches.
Tetzilacatl - gong made of copper or stone.

Wind Instruments

Atecocoli or Atecuculli - large perforated conch blown as a trumpet.
Chichitli - Whistle flute.
Cocoloctli - flute which made a buzzing sound. Actually twin four-holed reed flutes tied near the mouthpiece with a ribbon which protected a spider egg sac; the sac caused the buzzing sound.
Huilacapitztli - ocarina, flute or fife, globular flute, usually formed in an animal shape.
Quiquiztli - conch-shell trumpet.
Tecciztli - wind instrument made of shell or bone.
Tepuzquiquiztli - metal trumpet made of copper. If metal was unavailable or before it came into use, wood or very large gourds were used.
Tlapitzalli - three-holed vertical flute made of bone or clay.