Bluegrass music

Bluegrass
Stylistic origins	Country music, Scots-Irish Appalachian folk music, Blues, Jazz
Cultural origins	Mid to late 1940s US
Typical instruments	Fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, dobro, and upright bass
Subgenres
Progressive bluegrass - Traditional bluegrass
Fusion genres
Jam band
Regional scenes
Czech Republic
Other topics
Musicians - Hall of Honor

Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music with its own roots in the English, Irish and Scottish traditional music of immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachia), as well as the music of rural African-Americans, jazz, and blues. Like jazz, bluegrass is played with each melody instrument switching off, playing the melody in turn while the others revert to backing; this is in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together or one instrument carried the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment.

Characteristics

Instrumentation

Bluegrass artists use a variety of stringed instruments to create a unique sound.

Unlike mainstream country music, bluegrass relies mostly on acoustic stringed instruments: The fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass are sometimes joined by the resonator guitar (popularly known by the Dobro brand name), and an electric bass or electric upright bass is occasionally substituted for the upright bass. This instrumentation originated in rural black dance bands and was being abandonded by those groups (in favor of blues and jazz ensembles) when picked up by white musicians (van der Merwe 1989, p.62).

Debate rages among bluegrass musicians, fans, and scholars, over what instrumentation constitutes a bluegrass band. Several general criteria have been put forward. One suggested definition is that a bluegrass band includes at least four musicians who play instruments including an upright bass, an acoustic guitar, and a banjo, though those instruments need not always be played. (Example: During gospel songs many banjo players switch to lead guitar, a tradition dating to Earl Scruggs.) Other common instruments include the fiddle, mandolin, and the resonator guitar, often known by the brand name Dobro. Bluegrass bands have included instruments as diverse as drums, electric guitar, accordion, harmonica, mouth harp, and piano, though these are not widely accepted within the bluegrass community. Instrumental solos are improvised, and can frequently be technically demanding.

Vocals

Besides instrumentation, the distinguishing characteristics of bluegrass include vocal harmonies featuring two, three, or four parts, often featuring a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice (see modal frame); an emphasis on traditional songs, often with sentimental or religious themes. This vocal style has been characterized as the "high lonesome sound."

History

Creation

Bluegrass as a style developed sometime during the late mid 1940s. Because of war rationing, recording was limited during this time, and the best we can say is that bluegrass was not played before World War II, and it was being played after. As with any musical genre, no one person can claim to have "invented" it. Rather, bluegrass is an amalgam of old-time music, blues, ragtime and jazz. Nevertheless, bluegrass's beginnings can be traced to one band. Today Bill Monroe is referred to as the "founding father" of bluegrass music; the bluegrass style was named for his band, the Blue Grass Boys, formed in 1939. The 1945 addition of banjo player Earl Scruggs, who played with a three-finger roll now known as "Scruggs style," is pointed to as the key moment in the development of this genre. Monroe's 1945-48 band, which featured banjo player Earl Scruggs, singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, fiddler Chubby Wise and bassist Cedric Rainwater, created the definitive sound and instrumental configuration that remains a model to this day.

By some arguments, as long as the Blue Grass Boys were the only band playing this music, it was just their unique style; it could not be considered a musical genre until other bands began performing the same style. In 1947 the Stanley Brothers recorded the traditional song Molly and Tenbrooks in the Blue Grass Boys' style, and this could also be pointed to as the beginning of bluegrass as a genre.

It is important to note that bluegrass is not and never was a folk music under a strict definition. From its earliest days to today, bluegrass has been recorded and performed by professional musicians. Although amateur bluegrass musicians and trends such as "parking lot picking" are too important to be ignored, it is professional musicians who have set the direction of the genre. While bluegrass is not a folk music in the strictest sense, the interplay between bluegrass music and other folk forms has been studied. Folklorist Dr. Neil Rosenberg, for example, shows that most devoted bluegrass fans and musicians are familiar with traditional folk songs and old-time music and that these songs are often played at festivals and shows.

First generation

First generation bluegrass musicians dominated the genre from its beginnings in the mid-1940s through the mid-1960s. This group generally consists of those who were playing during the "Golden Age" in the 1950s, including Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, the Stanley Brothers, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys, and Don Reno.

Second generation

Bluegrass's second generation came to prominence in the mid- to late-1960s, although many of the second generation musicians were playing (often at young ages) in first generation bands prior to this. Among the most prominent second generation musicians are J. D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, and Tony Rice. With the second generation came a growth in progressive bluegrass as exemplified by second generation bands such as the New Grass Revival, Seldom Scene, and Osborne Brothers.

Third generation

The third generation in bluegrass reached primacy in the mid-1980s. Third generation bluegrass saw a number of notable changes from the music played in previous years. In several regards, this generation saw a redefinition of "mainstream bluegrass." Increased availability of high-quality sound equipment led to each band member being miked independently, and a "wall of sound" style developed (exemplified by IIIrd Tyme Out and Lonesome River Band). Following the example set by Tony Rice, lead guitar playing became more common (and more elaborate) and few bands had a rhythm guitarist. An electric bass became a generally, but not universally, accepted alternative to the traditional acoustic bass, though electrification of other instruments continued to meet resistance outside progressive circles. Nontraditional chord progressions also became more widely accepted. On the other hand, this generation saw a rennaissance of more traditional songs, played in the newer style.

Fourth generation

It could be argued that a fourth generation of bluegrass musicians is beginning to appear. Although it is too soon to see definite trends, the most notable fourth generation musician to emerge so far is probably Chris Thile, who released solo bluegrass albums at age 13 and 16 (Leading Off and Stealing Second respectively), before reaching wider fame as a member of the bluegrass-influenced acoustic band Nickel Creek.

Subgenres

In addition to what might be considered "mainstream" bluegrass, which has gradually changed over the last 60 years, two major subgenres have existed almost since the music's beginning.

Traditional bluegrass

Traditional bluegrass, as the name implies, emphasizes the traditional elements. Traditional bluegrass musicians are likely to play folk songs, songs with simple traditional chord progressions, and use only acoustic instruments. Traditional bluegrass may include instruments not accepted in mainstream bluegrass, such as washboards and mouth harps, and may use bluegrass instruments in slightly different ways (claw-hammer style of banjo playing, or multiple guitars or banjos within a band). In this sub-genre, the guitar rarely takes the lead (the notable exception being gospel songs), remaining a rhythm instrument. Melodies and lyrics tend to be simple, and the guitar is almost always a rhythm instrument.

Progressive bluegrass

Main article: Progressive bluegrass.

The other major subgenre is progressive bluegrass, synonymous with "newgrass" (the latter term is attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker). Progressive bluegrass came to widespread attention in the late 1960s and 1970s, as some groups began using electric instruments and importing songs from other genres (particularly rock & roll). However, progressive bluegrass can be traced back to one of the earliest bluegrass bands. A brief listen to the banjo and bass duets Earl Scruggs played even in the earliest days of the Foggy Mountain Boys give a hint of wild chord progressions to come. The four key distinguishing elements (not always all present) of progressive bluegrass are instrumentation (frequently including electric instruments, drums, piano, and more), songs imported (or styles imitated) from other genres, chord progressions, and lengthy "jam band"-style improvisation.

Social and musical impact

Bluegrass in movies

• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin
• That High Lonesome Sound
• Deliverance
• Harlan County, USA
• Bonnie and Clyde

Associations

• International Bluegrass Music Association [1]
• Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America [2]

Publications

• Bluegrass Unlimited [3]
• Banjo Newsletter
• Bluegrass Europe
• Bluegrass Now
• International Bluegrass
• Moonshiner (Japanese)
• Women in Bluegrass Newsletter

Museums

• International Bluegrass Music Museum [4] Owensboro, Kentucky
• Bill Monroe Museum [5] Rosine, Kentucky
• Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Country Star Museum [6] Bean Blossom, Indiana

References

• Kingsbury, Paul (2004). The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195176081.
• Rosenberg, Neil (1985). Bluegrass: A History. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252002652.
• van der Merwe, Peter (1989). Origins of the Popular Style: The Antecedents of Twentieth-Century Popular Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0193161214.