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What Makes a Song “Traditional” in Bluegrass?
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In bluegrass, traditional is not a date stamp. It’s a designation earned over time through sound, usage, and cultural acceptance. A traditional bluegrass song feels…
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Vassar Clements: The Fiddler Who Let Bluegrass Swing
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Bluegrass has always carried a kind of electricity—tight harmonies, hard rhythm, and instrumental lines sharp enough to cut the air. But every so often, a…
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The Blue Grass Boys: The Band That Created a Genre
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Plenty of bands define an era. Very few define a genre. Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys did both—almost by accident at first. The name “Blue…
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Before Bluegrass Had a Name: A Timeline of the Sound Taking Shape
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Bluegrass didn’t begin as a genre label. It began as a sound—familiar, rural, and deeply American, but sharpened into something more driving, more precise, and…
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The First Bluegrass Songs: How a Genre Was Born
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Bluegrass music did not begin with a single defining moment or recording. Instead, it emerged rapidly during the mid-1940s, when traditional Appalachian string band music…
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The Five Pillars of Bluegrass: Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Acoustic Guitar, and Upright Bass
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Bluegrass music is instantly recognizable—its drive, sparkle, and high-lonesome energy come from a carefully balanced blend of acoustic instruments working together in perfect conversation. Although…
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One Song, One Year: Bluegrass by the Calendar
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1946 — Blue Moon of KentuckyThe sound announces itself on record. High lonesome vocals, mandolin chop, and unmistakable identity. 1947 — Blue Grass BreakdownInstrumental breaks…
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Earl Taylor: The Mandolin Firebrand Who Brought Bluegrass to New Heights
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In the years when bluegrass was still carving out its identity beyond its Appalachian birthplace, it wasn’t only the biggest names who carried the music…
World Bluegrass Day® 