Bluegrass Music

American roots music · Appalachia · acoustic instruments · 1940s

Born in the 1940s. Bluegrass music developed in the Appalachian region of the United States during the 1940s. It got its name from Bill Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys.

All acoustic instruments. Unlike country music, bluegrass is played only on acoustic instruments like fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, and upright bass. No electric guitars allowed in traditional bluegrass.

A musical blend. Bluegrass mixes African American blues and jazz with North European traditions like Irish ballads and dance tunes. Bill Monroe himself called it a blend of Methodist, Holiness, and Baptist traditions.

Fast and lively. Musicians like Earl Scruggs on the 5-string banjo and Lester Flatt on guitar helped develop bluegrass's signature fast, energetic sound. Monroe described it as having a 'high lonesome sound.'