Evolution of Bluegrass
by: Kourtney Ellyson
Central Question
Bluegrass music didn't become popular among Americans until after World War ll, but bluegrass dates back to the 1600s when settlers were moving out of Jamestown and into different southern colonies. This different twist on country music is a combination of Irish, British, and Scottish traditional music and later influenced by African American jazz music. Bluegrass is a combination of different instruments like the banjo, harmonica, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and the fiddle. Over the years there have been many ups and downs for the bluegrass music; however, bluegrass is still very popular within the country music population. Like American history, there is the argument today between progressives and purists as to what really is bluegrass.
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Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
The Kentucky Colonels
Alison Krauss
Compare and Contrast
The main difference between bluegrass and Nashville country music is bluegrass instruments are all string-based. There is no amplified instruments like in country music. When some early country artists began to write acoustic versions of their songs, listeners began to confuse the song with bluegrass because the acoustic guitar was not amplified.
Instruments:Bluegrass and country music use similar instruments like the banjo, harmonica, and the fiddle; however, bluegrass music focuses on unamplified instruments. This causes bluegrass to sound more like folk music.
Rhythm and Sound:
Country music focuses more on dancing tunes and keeping a steady rhythm while bluegrass music has a sound with a string instrument and a more improvised or free rhythm.
Other:
Kentucky can be considered the origin of the bluegrass music (because it was Bill Monroe's home state) while country music began to grow from good ole' Nashville, Tennessee. If you want to stereotype the two music genres, bluegrass is more for the hillbillies and hipsters while country music is more for the rednecks and cowboys.
Citations
https://www.britannica.com/art/bluegrass-music
http://www.playbetterbluegrass.com/bluegrass_instruments_2_ct.htm
https://www.npr.org/2011/09/12/140366232/bill-monroe-celebrating-the-father-of-bluegrass-at-100
https://www.grizzlyrose.com/difference-between-bluegrass-and-country/