Two types of secular vocal music were cultivated in Spain during the sixteenth century: unaccompanied polyphonic songs and solo songs with instrumental accompaniment. The compositions for unaccompanied voices have been preserved principally in musical anthologies, the Cancioneros. Many remain anonymous, but recent investigations have disclosed new names and made possible new and more complete attributions. A number of the composers were chiefly celebrated for their religious works. Usually they were attached to the Royal Chapels in the Peninsula itself or in the Kingdom of Naples. Later in the century Spanish composers lived much abroad holding posts at various Italian courts or at the Imperial Court in Vienna. The great trio, Morales, Guerrero, Victoria wrote little or no secular music.

A considerable literature of solo songs with instrumental accompaniment has been preserved in the very numerous collections of music for the vihuela. This instrument, shaped very like the guitar, with narrow waist and flat back, was designed, however, for the performance of complicated contrapuntal music such as was played more generally at that time on the lute.