Influences
This American genre developed alongside and influenced country music and contributed musical aspects such as shuffle rhythm.
What are the blues?
This famous family of country musicians preserved Appalachian folk songs with Victorian era inspired lyrics.
Who is the Carter Family (active 1927-1956)?
Bluegrass is a subgenre of country developed in the 1940s that prominently featured this instrument.
What is the mandolin?
Music of 1700s European settlers in the Appalachian Mountains was rooted in the traditional music of this region of the world.
What is the British Isles (Britain and Ireland)?
Known as the "Hillbilly Shakespeare," he wrote "I'm so lonesome I could cry" with a waltz (3/4 time) meter.
Who is Hank Williams (1923-1953)?
Mandolins share notes with this instrument, making switching between the two easy.
What is the fiddle (violin)?
Country music developed out of musical influences in these three regions of the United States.
What are the Appalachian Mountains, the Deep South, and the Southwest?
Famous during the Great Depression, this country music superstar worked as a railroad brakeman and died young of Tuberculosis.
Who is Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933)?
Western Swing music mixed country with this other American genre when it added horns and drums.
What is jazz or swing?
These monophonic songs from the American Southwest played a part in the development of country music.
What are cowboy songs?
He is the "father of bluegrass."
Who is Bill Monroe (1911-1996)?
This aspect of the melodies in old country songs enabled mass participation--anyone could sing along.
What is a small melodic range?