bluegrass
A form of American roots music featuring acoustic string instruments, fast tempos, and vocal harmonies.
In Depth
Bluegrass music emerged in the 1940s, created by Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. It combines elements of Appalachian folk music, blues, jazz, and gospel into a distinctive style featuring virtuosic instrumental playing, tight vocal harmonies, and a driving rhythmic energy.
The core bluegrass ensemble consists of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, five-string banjo, and upright bass — all acoustic. Each instrument takes turns playing improvised solos over the chord changes, much like a jazz combo. Earl Scruggs's revolutionary three-finger banjo picking style defined the bluegrass sound, and his partnership with Lester Flatt created some of the genre's most iconic recordings.
Bill Monroe is called the father of bluegrass — the genre is literally named after his band, the Blue Grass Boys, which was itself named after his home state of Kentucky (the Bluegrass State).