History of Bluegrass Music

The bluegrass music that we know today came from ballads that were sung in the early 1800's in the British Isles, Scotland, and Ireland. Women would sing the ballads about everyday life. These songs were handed down through the generations. As people started immigrating to the United States, these ballads came along. The ladies would sing while some of the men would play the banjo or fiddle to accompany the ballads.

Bluegrass music is found mainly in North Carolina with the Scott-Irish settlers. Their music was mostly of death and murder. Bluegrass is known for its high lonesome sound. North Carolina produced some very important people who helped make bluegrass very popular today. One such group was Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Other famous bluegrass musicians are Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

In the early years, fiddle players were held in higher esteem than doctors, lawyers or politicians. These musicians provided a great service to the country folk. They brought entertainment and relief to the hard work of the everyday. They provided music for the all day dances. As bluegrass became ever more popular many other instruments were introduced. The banjo and fiddle are the most popular. Later the banjo was remade to play a softer music while the mandolin and guitar were introduced. In the 1870, the banjo was made in a factory and was available for purchase through the Sears and Montgomery catalog. The banjo was featured with a lot of mechanical things that needed tuning by the player.