Bluegrass is a type of music with American roots developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The title of Bluegrass music came about from musician Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. The name came from the fact that Bill Monroe was from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky.
Bluegrass music is energy-filled country music with a mix of blues and jazz elements. The Bluegrass sound comes from the unique use of instruments. A bluegrass band has four to seven musicians playing all stringed instruments.
Banjo - Early instruments were fashioned by African Americans in the US and were adapted from African instruments of similar design. “Scruggs Style” playing is a syncopated, three-finger picking style. The five-string banjo is characterized by 4 full strings and 1 shorter string.
Guitar - In early recordings of country and string band music, the “Boom-chicka” rhythm can be easily heard. Mostly used as a backup instrument in the Bluegrass genre used to punch out rhythms and interspersed with licks such as Lester Flatt’s famous “G run”.
Fiddle – A four-stringed musical instrument with a bow. The violin and the fiddle are the exact same instrument but music style is different.
Mandolin - Signature instrument of Bill Monroe, considered the “Father of Bluegrass”. The mandolin has eight metal strings and is in the lute family.
Dobro - An acoustic guitar with a metal resonator built into the body, which serves as an amplifier. Introduced to country music in 1939, popular in blues, bluegrass, and American folk music.
Upright Bass - The largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument. Players pluck the strings with their hands to play.