The genre evolved out of acoustic fiddle bands in southern Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert.
These bands began playing European and Mexican tunes, in styles that include the polka, schottisch and mazurka.
[1] Chicken scratch, however, is at its root an interpretation of norteño music, which is itself a Mexican adaptation of polka.
[2] Chicken scratch dance is based on the "walking two step or the walking polka and the emphasis is on a very smooth gliding movement";[3] dancers may also perform the mazurka or the chote, though no matter the style, it is always performed counterclockwise.
[4] Chicken scratch is usually played with a band including alto saxophone, bass, guitar, drums and accordion,[4] though the original style used only percussion, guitar and violin, with the accordion and saxophone added in the 1950s.