History Of Country Guitar

Country Music

Country music is America’s unique style of popular song and dance music. Rooted in European folk songs, it originally had a strong regional association with the rural areas of the United States. As country has developed, it has given rise to genres such as bluegrass and country swing.

The Origins Of Country

Country musicians in the 1920s were working within a traditional framework that had been in existence for decades. Music based around country dancing, folk songs, and ballads had been developing in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia and adjacent states until, with figures such as Fiddlin’ John Carson selling large quantities of recordings from 1923, country became recognized as a new, popular and commercial style, with a potential for widespread appeal.

In much the same way as happened with the blues, the widespread adoption of the guitar for country music was due partly to cheap mass production. British folk music had some influence on the music, but the isolation of rural “hillbilly” communities in ‘ the Appalachians led to a particular style of mountain songs and country dancing tunes. Ragtime and blues also contributed to forming early-guitar styles.

Early guitarists

A number of other important country guitarists emerged in the 1920s. Sam McGee (1894-1975), from Tennessee, was influenced by Uncle Dave Macon (1870-1952) and eventually joined Macon’s group The Fruit Jar Drinkers in 1924. With the McGee Brothers, he made successful recordings from 1930. Other figures included Frank Hutchison, “The Pride of West Virginia,” and Roy Harvey (1892-1958), who played blues-influenced solos in the 1920s. Another famous group was The Sons of the Pioneers with Karl Farr, an extended family harmony group in the Carter tradition. Country music has become associated with the white population, but there were many important early black players. In Kentucky, for instance, black guitarist Arnold Shultz developed a rhythmic “choke” style that was influential.

Riley Puckett

rileypuckett History Of Country Guitar Born in Georgia, Riley Puckett (1894-1946) had a large repertoire of British folk songs, popular 19th-century songs, and Broadway hits. From 1916 he played with fiddler Gid Tanner, recorded with him from 1924, and in 1926 the two formed the Skillet Lickers. Their forward-looking instrumental arrangements, put down in Atlanta, were antecedents for bluegrass. On these, Puckett plays a sophisticated style of accompaniment with floating, displaced runs, and arpeggiated chord sequences.

As well as chordal strumming, Puckett added clear bass notes and melodic runs that are sometimes put in unusual places, giving an almost contrapuntal effect, often using subtle syncopation. His strong bass can be heard on “Dixie” (1927) and the instrumental “Liberty” (1928). On the uptempo “Molly Put the Kettle On” (1931), Puckett opens by playing the melody on guitar, and uses higher-register fills with occasional double-time flourishes.

Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers (1897 1933) was born in Mississippi. Until he turned professional in 1925, he worked on the railroad which led to his nickname, “the singing brakeman.” Like most early country performers, he was first heard on the radio before being discovered in 1927 and given the chance to record.
Among his first recordings is a folk waltz, “The Soldier’s Sweetheart,” which Rodgers accompanies with a country-style guitar bass note and strumming technique. At this time, the major characteristic that Rodgers brings to country music is the blues, which can be heard on “Blue Yodel #1 (T. Is For Texas)” (1927).This sees Rodgers strumming chords with a bluesy

Maybelle Carter

maybellcarter History Of Country Guitar Maybelle Carter (1909-78) and the Carter Family came from Virginia and popularized hillbilly folk roots by developing an instrumental style to back their harmony singing using various instruments, including guitar and dulcimer. With Sara on rumbustious rhythm guitar, Maybelle Carter plays pronounced bass runs and melodic figures with a thick-textured tone that underpins the music and helps to give the group an appealing and instantly recognizable sound.

One of their most popular songs is “Wildwood Flower” (c. 1927). Backed by Sara’s infectious country rhythm, Maybelle opens by playing an attractive melody and reintroduces it with ornamentation to provide solo breaks. This approach is also used on “Keep on the Sunny Side,” where Maybelle plays the melody on guitar accompanied by Sara playing rhythm. The waltz “Meet Me by the Moonlight Alone” features slide guitar on melody, often used to give a broader range of color.

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