The Birth of Bluegrass Music

     I’ve never taken a liking to modern or contemporary country music. It has this twangy and sad sound and lyric content that combines contemporary instrumental sounds with singers of an accent that instantly reminds me of my family on my mom’s side. I assumed Country... was Country and it all sounds pretty much the same; not realizing there are different forms and styles of country music. When I was watching an episode of “King of the Hill”; Hank Hill, the main character, is playing his guitar in the alley to a tune so sweet and warm. I was amazed and so drawn to the sound. 

    Connie, the daughter of Hank’s Laotian neighbor, Khan, overhears it from her window and is also captivated by what she hears. Connie is always under a lot of pressure from her dad to enter an Ivy League school and become a classical violinist. When Connie hears this gorgeous tune played by Hank, she is compelled to meet him in the alley and asks him to play it again. She then harmonizes using her violin. When done, Hank corrects her terminology by saying, “When you’re playing bluegrass music, it’s called a fiddle” The combined harmonies of Hank’s guitar and Connie’s fiddle blew me away. Instantly, my interest in bluegrass music had sparked; solely through this one episode of the popular cartoon created by Mike Judge. 

Here is a clip of this moment. 

     Bluegrass was developed in the Appalachian region of the United States. The music drew its character from old-time and traditional European folk music. The settlers of the Appalachian region were mainly English and Scottish who had brought their musical traditions and instruments here from their homelands. This is why Jigs and Reels, especially when using the fiddle were crucial for the new but ever-growing style.  Interestingly, enslaved West African musicians are credited with being the first people to introduce the banjo to the United States, which became a primary instrument used in the development of bluegrass. Early stages of bluegrass were often inspired by or based off of so-called "Child Ballads" that are derived from England, Ireland, and Scotland. Most of these ballads told a story or narrative that was relative to the listener; paired with a dance and a fiddle. Sometimes other string instruments were used but the fiddle was more prominent.  

For example, "Pretty Saro" is a ballad from England.

The song "Cuckoo Bird" also originated in England. 

The songs "Leather Britches" and "Soldier's joy" are examples of ballads that originate from Scotland. 

Listen here below

 

 

    The fiddle and guitar are believed to have been traced to the earliest days of bluegrass. It's commonly known that the first European settlers are responsible for bringing fiddles and guitars to the Appalachian region. The fiddle was seen as particularly important since most of the ballads used fiddles. Guitars were often used just as much, but historians mostly agree the fiddle was seen as more important than the guitar. The role of these instruments has evolved over time along with different instruments added in, taking on a wide variety of importance and use throughout the development of bluegrass. In modern bluegrass ensembles, the Bass is considered an integral and important instrument for bluegrass ensembles.

Originally, evidence has shown that the cello was used more during the inception of bluegrass, instead of the bass. Eventually, the cello was deemed more of a classical instrument and was dropped from bluegrass altogether. The double bass, or, simply known as the Bass, is a common instrument during the 20th century. It was essential to the early formation of the bluegrass genre. The cello, however, was not re-introduced to bluegrass until the 1990s. 

    The Banjo is probably the first instrument you'd think of when you hear the term "bluegrass".

Banjos carry an interesting and deep history that you wouldn't have thought to be the case; due to their current use and association with American Roots music played mainly by white musicians. It is widely accepted by scholars that the banjo was first brought to America by African slaves. In 1781 Thomas Jefferson, stated in his writings (about the slaves on his own plantation) "The instrument proper to them is the Banjar; which they have brought hither from Africa". Most of these early "Banjars" were made from gourds and played with a fretless neck. There are no recordings of these indigenous, hand-made banjars but from surviving illustrations, scholars concurred that they used heavy strings and likely had a deep and or mellow sound to them. 

    

Although done many years prior, the earliest eyewitness account of the banjo and fiddle being played together in the South was in the year 1847. 

This was the moment, considered to be the true origin of modern bluegrass.

     Eventually, the original hand-made banjars were dropped and replaced by the modern 5-string banjo. According to music historians, Earl Scruggs made the 5-string banjo especially revered in the bluegrass genre using his three-finger playing style. 

The Mandolin is another one of the most common instruments used in modern bluegrass. There are little to no traces of the mandolin being used in the beginning stages of bluegrass. It would have to wait until the 20th century to gain popularity through the business efforts of the Gibson Guitar Co., which produced and sold a flat-back type of mandolin mainly used in mandolin orchestras. These later lost popularity in the 1920s; however, at the same time, they began to be used in a variety of traditional Appalachian mountain folk music. By the 1930s, Bill Monroe, a Kentucky-born fiddler, mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, is credited with being the creator of the bluegrass genre via him and his band "Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys". Bluegrass is literally a strain of grass native to Kentucky. 

    The collaboration of Irish and Scottish fiddle tunes with the American Banjo had already been done, but Bill Monroe was the first musician to famously, combine all of these musical aspects together while also integrating the Mandolin at the same time. Since then, he is considered "The Father of Bluegrass".  The Bluegrass genre had not officially been named until Ralph Stanley credited Bill Monroe with the term "Bluegrass". 

    Quote: "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 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 Bluegrass Boys", it would be called "Bluegrass". 

- Ralph Stanley

The Resonator Guitar or Dobro is another instrument that became common in contemporary bluegrass. It was first introduced by Josh Graves who played with (Lester) Flatt and (Earl) Scruggs in the mid-1950s. The instrument wasn't widespread until Gerry Douglas and Mike Aldridge began to popularize it later through their music. 

There are currently 4 generations of bluegrass, the fourth being the current generation. The following generations after the first incorporate traditional styles but with a modern approach with the evolution of each generation. However, the first generation acknowledging the original, great bluegrass musicians such as Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs is considered to be the golden age of bluegrass. 

Blue Moon of Kentucky (1946) is my favorite song by Bill Monroe, which was covered by Elvis Presley, making the song skyrocket in popularity. It's been covered by many other famous musicians over the years such as Patsy Cline, Ricky Skaggs, and even Paul McCartney. 

I must add another nod to King of the Hill for paying homage to this great song, including an illustrated cameo of Charlie Daniels. Awesome!

One more bluegrass song. Another favorite of mine, I tell you what.

If you got to the end of this, thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. 

Source: Origins of Bluegrass