Bluegrass Music History

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Ever since I can remember, I have always had a fondness for Bluegrass music. I grew up on old gospel music and later started loving country music. I was not allowed to listen to any other kind of music but gospel. Whenever I listened to country music on the radio I made sure to turn the radio back to the usual station. Through my family I have learned a great deal about music. Over half of my family plays some type of instrument which consists of the piano, organ, saxophone, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass. My grandpa is 96 years old and makes fiddles to this day. My great-grandpa made banjos. Everyone who knows me is aware of how much I love banjos, so my aunt bought me one as a graduation present. I practice regularly and improving greatly.…show more content…
This particular origin, just like the music, is way more humble than what most people would subscribe. It extends further into the past than most would realize. Bluegrass music traditions started with English and Scottish ballads, as well as African American Gospel Music. In fact, the design of a banjo, now an instrument integral to the well-known Bluegrass sound came from Africa. Many of the older Bluegrass songs came straight fro the Isles of Britain. Popular in the Appalachia, some well-known fiddle songs such as “Pretty Polly” and “Leather Britches”, have roots from Scotland. Jamestown settlers began to move into North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West…show more content…
The most common instruments are banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, fiddles, guitars, accordions, and harmonicas. My favorite, the banjo, is made with different numbers of strings. For example, the Bluegrass bands that finger-pick banjos almost always play them with five strings. Some other types of banjos have four strings and are played by guitar players and used in jazz music. The banjo is played mostly with Mountain music. The mandolin is a bit harder to play then a banjo, or so I have heard. This particular instrument is a short lute body with vibrating strings. Musicians play them with flats picks. Mandolins produce a melodic sound, and they can be a rhythm and lead instrument in bluegrass music. The ukulele is another instrument that I would love to learn how to play. It only has four nylon strings. Different sized ukuleles produce different sounds, such as sopranos and baritones. Other than Bluegrass, they can be found being played in Indie bands. A fiddle is a violin that has been structured for use in country or bluegrass music. I helped my papa make fiddles and I found out rather quickly that fiddles have flatter bridges than the normal violin. In this way, arm movements are shorter with a flatter bridge. Fiddles can be used as a lead instruments, but they are mainly played to fill the music gaps. Bass fiddles can be either electric or acoustic. The guitar is classified as a
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