The main thing that differentiates bluegrass music from other types of music is that bluegrass music is played using mostly stringed and acoustic instruments.
A normal band would have a fiddle player, acoustic guitar player, upright bass player, mandolin player, and a banjo player. Recently, the mandolin and banjo have become quite popular. Some bluegrass bands use a resonator guitar as well.
Recently, the instruments used for bluegrass music continues to grow to include drums, harps, pianos, accordions and even harmonicas. Some bands even use an electric guitar along with other electrical instruments.
During and after the war in the 1940′s, supply rationing was enforced. Because of this, creating records was very limited which is a sign that bluegrass music long after the war had ended.
Bluegrass music derived from other genres of music such as ragtime, country, roots, and jazz. Many credit Bill Monroe for being the actual grandfather of bluegrass. His band was called the Bluegrass Boys and they formed about 1939 but in 1945 they really became known for being a true band when Earl Scruggs joined in with them. His three finger style of playing the banjo quickly gained popularity.
In the years that followed, other members joined such as Lester Flats, Chubby Wise, and Howard Watts. Lester played the guitar; Chubby played the fiddle, Howard the bass and with Bill playing the mandolin, this became a classic bluegrass band group. Soon, other bluegrass bands began to emerge.
During that time, bluegrass music was more often referred to as hillbilly music. This was due to the fact that it was played in rural areas where buck dancing and clogging took place. The common link between bluegrass music and mountain music will always be there. Themes sung in folk music are much the same as they are in bluegrass, but unlike the mountain music, bluegrass has always been played with musicians that are professionals.
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