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Which musical features in Hispanic American folk music came from the Iberian Peninsula?

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ceramic flute — Latin American music Flute, slip-painted ceramic, Nopiloa, southern Veracruz, Mexico, 300–500 ce; in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 35.56 × 17.15 × 10.80 cm.

Hispanic American folk music retains significant elements from the Iberian Peninsula, primarily through the European musical system and specific secular and religious traditions introduced during the colonial period.12

Musical Features and Structure

The most pervasive Iberian influences include the core components of the European musical system:
* Melodic and Harmonic Traits: Modal and tonal melodies, symmetric melodic contours, and tonal harmony.1
* Formal Structure: The use of sectional formal structures and regular two- and four-bar phrases with repeated structures, which are typical of Spanish folk song.1
* Genres: Widespread genres include the romance (a medieval ballad), the décima (10-line verse), the copla (couplet), and various song duels like the contrapunto (poetry contest).1

Dance and Performance

Iberian influence is also evident in performance practices and dance:
* Choreographic Traits: Traditional Latin American folk dancing retains Iberian traits such as shoe tapping (zapateado), finger snapping, the use of castanets, and the use of scarves (danza de pañuelo).2
* Instrumentation: Colonists introduced stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute, harp, and violin, which became foundational to Hispanic American folk music.3