The History Of Bluegrass Music
What Is Bluegrass Music… …

Bluegrass is a musical style named after and developed by Bill Monroe and his band The Bluegrass Boys The graduates from his band and his string band imitators and competitors from the old south and Appalachia contributed to this development - it is original music formed from a number of influences and conjuring up images of old Kentucky and the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains. A great influence was Bill's own Scottish ancestry and celtic musical inheritance.

The music was described by Bill Monroe " The Father of Bluegrass Music" as 'the old southern sound - a fusion, representation and development of the folk music brought to the new world by settlers to the southern mountains and popularised by his broadcast over the southern states from the Grand Ole Opry radio show from 1939 onwards. Many of the settlers were Scottish or Scots/Irish including Bill Monroe's own ancestors. The fusion of these influences with black blues and Afro American back beats and the eventual addition of Earl Scruggs's ragtime influenced driving three finger 'North Carolina' banjo style led to ethnomusicologists describing the genre as 'folk music in overdrive'.

With high lonesome singing and two, three and four part harmonies accompanied by fiddle, mandolin and banjo all taking turns at breaks and kickoffs to songs and with the feature of instrumental 'Breakdowns' backed by double bass and guitar we have the essential ingredients of Bluegrass. Gospel music was added to the mix often unaccompanied.  The song content, usually 2/4 but occasionally 3/4, varies widely in subject from old time ballads, love songs, travel and train songs to songs of the old home. Much of this collection is original and being added to year by year however much of it is rooted in the traditional ballad and Celtic fiddle influence of the settlers and their early string band music.

Resophonic slide guitar has been accepted into the genre along with flat-picking on the acoustic guitar. Pop songs have been borrowed out of and into the Bluegrass style along with swing and jazz numbers. Every once in a while the film industry and television courts and features Bluegrass music and this has increased it's acceptance and popularity.

Whilst there is debate surrounding exact definitions and precise origins of this music - all are agreed that the early first generation pioneers of this music created a mastery and magic that is captivating and addictive, appealing to strong sentiments and feelings. The Scottish and Celtic connections to this American music are vibrant and undeniable. The Scottish Bluegrass Association welcomes Bluegrass back home with reverence, excitement and total enthusiasm.