Country Music

I. The Beginnings

II. Western Swing

III. Roy Acuff and the Grand Ole Opry

IV. Country and Western Music

Country Music

V. Bluegrass

V. Bluegrass

A. From a mixed background 1. Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachia and African American blues and jazz

B. like jazz, much improvisation 1. especially in “breakdowns” ex. “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”

a. different than earlier “old time” country music

Bill Monroe - bluegrass is "Scotch bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound. It's plain music that tells a good story. It's played from my heart to your heart, and it will touch you. Bluegrass is music that matters."

14 - various artists - eric weissberg & steve mandell - dueling banjos.mp3

V. Bluegrass

C. played with acoustic stringed instruments 1. fiddle

2. five string banjo a. three fingered

b. claw hammer

3. acoustic guitar a. Lester Flatt originally used finger and thumb picking instead of flat-picking

4. mandolin

5. upright bass

V. Bluegrass

c. played with acoustic stringed instruments 6. dobro (resonator guitar)

7. harmonica

8. autoharp a. “Amazing Grace”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTlSMMhlYdUhttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mz5a_maybelle-carter-autoharp-instrument_musichttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwpnFjlTSwU

V. Bluegrass D. Vocals

1. two to four part harmony

2. high pitched a. what Bill Monroe called the High Lonesome Sound

3. Roscoe Holcomb - “Old Smokey” - “Moonshiner”

4. Nashville Bluegrass Band – “Waitin’ For The Hard Times to Go”

Roscoe Holcomb/The High Lonesome Sound (1961/02 old smokey(roscoe holcomb).mp3Roscoe Holcomb/The High Lonesome Sound (1961/01 moonshiner(roscoe holcomb).mp3

V. Bluegrass E. Bill Monroe

1. “Founding Father” of bluegrass music Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys – 1939 with “Blue Moon of Kentucky”

2. joined banjo player extraordinaire Earl Scruggs with his three-finger roll – 1945

3. Lester Flatt and Chubby Wise on fiddle (with Howard Watts/Cedric Rainwater on bass) a. the original bluegrass band together, created the definitive sound and instrumental

configurations

b. "Oh, (Monroe) was the first. But it wasn't called bluegrass back then. It was just called old time mountain hillbilly music. When they started doing the bluegrass festivals in 1965, everybody got together and wanted to know what to call the show, y'know. It was decided that since Bill was the oldest man, and was from the Bluegrass state of Kentucky and he had the Blue Grass Boys, it would be called 'bluegrass.'"

Appalachian Stomp/07 - various artists - bill monroe & his bluegrass boys - blue moon of kentucky.mp3

V. Bluegrass

F. Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatts and the Foggy Mountain Boys

1. recorded from the ’40s into 1969

2. Earl Scruggs on banjo

3. Lester Flatt on rhythm guitar and vocals

a. joined Grand Ole Opry in 1955

4. broke up over stylistic differences of opinions

5. and, yes, the Soggy Bottom Boys are a direct tribute to the Foggy

Mountain Boys

V. Bluegrass G. Other notable bluegrass musicians

1. Ervin T. Rouse “Orange Blossom Special” Ralph Stanley and the Stanley Brothers

2. the Osborne Brothers “Rocky Top”

3. Lonesome Pine Fiddlers

4. Dan Crary “Devil’s Dream” - “Blackberry Blossom” - “Salt Creek”

5. Old and in the Way [Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan]

“Midnight Moonlight” - “The Hobo Song” - “Wild Horses”

6. Tony Rice “Freeborn Man”

7. Ricky Skaggs - “Little Cabin Home On the Hills”

8. The Nashville Bluegrass Band

9. O, Brother Where Art Thou

10. the Grascals

Appalachian Stomp/08 - various artists - the stanley brothers - orange blossom special.mp3rocky top.mp3Dan Crary/Bluegrass Guitar/04 - devil's dream.mp3Dan Crary/Bluegrass Guitar/05 - blackberry blossom.mp3Dan Crary/Bluegrass Guitar/06 - salt creek.mp3Old and in the Way/02 midnight moonlight.mp3Old and in the Way/05 the hobo song.mp3Old and in the Way/07 wild horses.mp3Appalachian Stomp/17 - various artists - ricky skaggs - little cabin home on the hills.mp303 Kansas City Railroad Blues.mp3