Bluegrass Music

Bluegrass music is an American form of music inspired by the music of immigrants who arrived in America from the British Isles and mixed with Afro-American Jazz and Blues. Bluegrass music is different from traditional music where all instruments play the melody together. In Bluegrass music, all instruments take their turn playing the melody and improvising on it.

Bluegrass music is performed mostly with acoustic stringed instruments and no electrical instruments. The fiddle is a mainstay of Bluegrass music, as are the banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar and upright bass. Although no one person invented Bluegrass music, the name is derived from the 1940's band, The Blue Grass boys which was formed by Bill Monroe who played the Mandolin. Bill Monroe is considered the father of Bluegrass music. The Blue Grass Boys performed their style of music throughout the 1940's and they were eventually copied by other bands, thus the style of Bluegrass music was born. and Bluegrass music is still going strong today.

Throughout its history, Bluegrass music has grown and changed. There are now various forms of Bluegrass music. There is traditional Bluegrass music. Progressive Bluegrass music and Bluegrass Gospel music. Of course, there is a lot of debate between Bluegrass music traditionalists and Bluegrass music innovators as to what constitutes true Bluegrass music, but these three main forms of Bluegrass music have seemed to have found a solid following and continue to grow in popularity. Bluegrass music was once a strictly American phenomena, but now Bluegrass music bands can be found all over the world.

There are Bluegrass music festivals in places like Japan and Eastern Europe and Bluegrass music continues to gain popularity world wide. The music in Bluegrass music is not considered folk music, although folk music songs are often played in Bluegrass music style and Bluegrass music certainly has been influenced by folk music. The instrumental solos in Bluegrass music are frequently improvised and are considered to be technically very difficult, requiring a lot of musicianship to perform. The vocals in Bluegrass music are a mixture of two, three and four part harmonies. The sound of the Bluegrass music vocals have been described as that " High lonesome sound."

Bluegrass music has been through many changes, yet still has that traditional Bluegrass music sound. Bluegrass music is very distinct and anyone who hears Bluegrass music recognizes this. As Bluegrass music continues to grow in popularity throughout the world, who knows what new fusion influences will affect Bluegrass music or what new sub-styles of Bluegrass music will appear.

< Back To Music Next