Mark Henderson answered
Country music was invented in America in the 1920s. It mainly came from the southern states, and developed out of American folk and western cowboy music.
Country songs are usually written in simple form with traditional harmonies. The entire genre makes heavy use of stringed instruments such as the banjo, guitar and fiddle. Also, the harmonica features frequently in country songs and brass sections are used occasionally.
The term "country" was not coined until the 1940s, as prior to this the genre was generally referred to as hillbilly music. Country music is still immensely popular toda, especially in its homeland - the southern states of America.
When was country music born?
The birth of the genre was in the 1920s, but it has its roots in European and African musical traditions. The European and African settlers brought instruments and music with them when they moved to the United States. The fiddle came from the British Isles, the dulcimer from Germany, the mandolin from Italy, the guitar from Spain and the Banjo from western Africa.
British and Irish folk music became the basis of the genre and, as this began to fuse with other elements, country music began to emerge.
The 19th century accelerated the pace of this development, due to another large wave of immigration to the United States. Irish, German, Spanish and Italian communities were established in Texas and these groups interacted with the Mexican, Native American and African American groups that were already established there. This cohabitation helped to define the genre into country music as we know it today.
Country songs are usually written in simple form with traditional harmonies. The entire genre makes heavy use of stringed instruments such as the banjo, guitar and fiddle. Also, the harmonica features frequently in country songs and brass sections are used occasionally.
The term "country" was not coined until the 1940s, as prior to this the genre was generally referred to as hillbilly music. Country music is still immensely popular toda, especially in its homeland - the southern states of America.
When was country music born?
The birth of the genre was in the 1920s, but it has its roots in European and African musical traditions. The European and African settlers brought instruments and music with them when they moved to the United States. The fiddle came from the British Isles, the dulcimer from Germany, the mandolin from Italy, the guitar from Spain and the Banjo from western Africa.
British and Irish folk music became the basis of the genre and, as this began to fuse with other elements, country music began to emerge.
The 19th century accelerated the pace of this development, due to another large wave of immigration to the United States. Irish, German, Spanish and Italian communities were established in Texas and these groups interacted with the Mexican, Native American and African American groups that were already established there. This cohabitation helped to define the genre into country music as we know it today.
