the earliest days of country music
One thing that has always puzzled me is why, despite being one of the most well-liked musical genres in the United States, country music is not as well-regarded abroad. In fact, you will discover that it is a rather specialised genre if you travel to the United Kingdom. Why does this puzzle me? The Irish, who are obviously quite near to the United Kingdom, are the originators of country music, therefore that must be why (just a couple of miles over the water in fact, with half of Ireland considered part of the United Kingdom). I wish to briefly examine the origins of this page. Before any music or other records, this was the case. At that time, music was a form of amusement as well as a means of generating income.
In the Southern region of North America, country music has been around for more than three hundred years in its current form. But it didn’t really start to take off until the 1920s. Where did it all start, then? A group of Irish immigrants made the decision to settle in the Appalachian Mountains at the outset. Clearly, Ireland is a very long way from North America. Space was obviously restricted, and the boat ride itself was awful. Only the most prized belongings could be brought to America by those leaving. Other items were left at home. Many Irish people treasured their instruments, and they travelled by water with them.
The fiddle, whose tones may still be heard in country music, was the instrument of choice for the Irish. They cherished the fiddle for its wide dynamic range, which is why they did. You could be making the most cheerful music you can in one moment and generating something that is nearly melancholy in the next. The Irish fiddle, however, was not the only instrument that contributed to its history. There was also a banjo (from West Africa), a mandolin (from Italy), and a dulcimer (Germany). You have a good selection of instruments.
It sort of emerged from a cultural collision. Many people are unaware of this, yet it has a variety of African musical influences. It began when white and black musicians in the southern regions of the nation began to perform together. In truth, the history of country music demonstrates that at the time, the genre tended to be much more “African” inspired than European influenced. However, the style has converged too much in recent years to clearly tell. From there, it only grew. As the musical genre spread throughout the region, more and more people began to incorporate fresh elements into it. This kind of music is ever-evolving. What is considered to be country music today is nothing like what we thought of as country all those years ago. It is really excited because of this. The next place the music takes us is always a surprise.
The Earlier Tapes
For more than three centuries, country music has been played throughout the southern region of the United States. But it wasn’t always as well-liked as it is now (where it is one of the most popular music genres in the United States). In fact, very few people outside of the Appalachian region had even heard of this music form prior to the 1920s. However, everything rapidly changed.
Atlanta’s thriving economy gave country music its beginnings as a recorded genre. Many people from the Appalachian region began working in the cotton mills during Atlanta’s early years. They carried their instruments with them on their journeys, just as their predecessors had done all those years before. This indicates that country music has begun to spread to Atlanta.
The recorded music industry was barely getting begun in the 1920s. In Atlanta, it was particularly well-liked. For more than 20 years, Atlanta served as the centre for a large amount of recorded music. In the 1950s, tragically, the number of recordings began to decline.
Anyhow, in the 1920s, everyone sought to profit from commercial music. Nobody anticipated that country music would be successful, though. Fiddlin’ John Carson was one of several musicians who tried to have their music recorded. After record company after record business rejected them. This continued until someone realised that country music could actually be sold. In fact, these marketing wizards thought it would be especially popular with people who worked in agriculture. What a brilliant idea that was. This specific notion was the catalyst for the development of country music as we know it today.
Country music at this time was a fusion of various genres. Really, it lacked any definition. Everyone simply played it whatever they pleased. Henry Gilliland and A.C. Robertson’s recording was one of the earliest country music releases. Both “Turkey in the Straw” and “Arkansas Traveller” were published. These two musicians played the fiddle. This is a far cry from the contemporary country music that we are familiar with, which is frequently dominated by guitarists.
The popularity of these records contributed significantly to the growth of country music. Fiddlin’ John Carson was signed by Okeh Records after being declined by all of those record companies earlier. In 1923, he created the incredibly popular song “Little Log Cabin in the Lane.” However, Vernon Dalhart was the first country musician to become a national sensation. His big hit, Wreck of the Old 97, which was released in 1927, was outstanding. It significantly increased the value of country music commercially.
But no one in the 1920s had as much of an impression as the Carter Family did. Their musical taste was distinctive. They eventually went on to release 300 different songs over the period of 17 years. Even today, many of these songs are still being sung. In actuality, the Carter Family’s music was intended to highlight this aspect of Southern American history. They undoubtedly sold millions of records, as you may have guessed.
This is merely a very basic overview of the development of country music in the 1920s. As you are aware, the fashion developed from there. Though it was these recordings that gave rise to what we today recognise as country. The music was noticeably different from what was played three hundred years ago (although built on the same principles). To see where country music goes from here on out would be really interesting.
The Changes in Travis Picking
I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried to learn the guitar. However, if you have, you’ll see that there are a few skills you need to master before you can even begin to have any chance of being able to play a song that someone else wrote, much less come up with your own. “Finger picking” is one of a guitarist’s most crucial techniques. There are several different “finger picking” techniques available nowadays. However, Travis Picking is the one I want to pay attention to. This is due to the fact that it has origins in early country music.
I want to briefly examine Travis Picking’s position within the history of country music before we get into what it is all about. You may be aware that it took until the 1920s for country music to start to take hold of popular culture. But long before then, people were beginning to define their personal style. Arnold Shultz, an African-American musician born in Ohio County, Kentucky, was one of those individuals.
Arnold spent a large portion of his life in close proximity to music. His relatives were in fact travelling country musicians. He had a number of encounters with well-known musicians as they travelled from place to place. He started to create his own style as well. He had a style all his own that was largely unheard of in country music. Deep bass tones and a jazzy sound were present (sadly he was never recorded so we do not know what he done exactly). He created a style that is deeply ingrained in Kentucky Style country music. In fact, Kennedy Jones, a country artist, claimed that one Merle Travis was greatly influenced by his performances.
Merle Travis was the one who started to elaborate on the concept of Travis picking. So what what is Travis Picking? It is a thumb picking technique, after all. If you have never played the guitar before, it is really difficult to explain. In essence, it is a guitar playing technique in which the thumb of a finger plays the bass notes (the top three strings). Deep bass is produced as a result. The other fingers then add a little melody by playing the lower strings. As you might have guessed, no guitar picks are utilised in this situation.
Travis picking is now frequently included into music by performers. In fact, I’m positive that you can find traces of Travis picking in just about every genre. Even “rock” musicians occasionally engage in it, especially during their slower songs. This is one of a select few “country music” subgenres that appears to have migrated outside the realm of traditional country music and into other genres. It demonstrates the breadth of this musical style’s appeal. I recommend listening to Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” if you want to hear a great example of Travis picking outside of country music. For more details gudang lagu
