Season 322 Ukuleles ARE allowed in Bluegrass (one week only)

[Recovering Bassist]

Don't get too hung up on what exactly bluegrass music is. It doesn't matter who you ask because no one agrees completely.
My definition of what bluegrass or mountain music is would be fast pass, three-part harmony, using guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass with an instrumental break.
Lots of gospel songs are sung in this genre too.
Just look up bluegrass songs and you will find more than enough music.

Take "Ill Fly Away". That song, in my mind, is typical bluegrass and typical gospel. It can be sung fast or slow. If you bring it slowly will it still be a bluegrass song? IMO yes.

Here is a perfect example.........and what is that?????? A uke????!!!!

OMG, you better call Bill!

Perfectly said Linda! Thanks! Professional Bluegrass folk don't totally agree on what it is and isn't, there's always been a debate, but don't get hung up on that for this week, not what it's about. I mean after all, we're ukulele players and don't belong anyhow! lol That's why that song exists btw, as a parody of the way some Bluegrass purists view what is and is not allowed in it. Basically, if you see a band with a banjo, a mandolin, a fiddle, an upright bass and an acoustic guitar, chances are pretty much 100% you're about to hear some Bluegrass! The instruments are usually not amplified, especially in traditional Bluegrass, they play into microphones. Some bands, such as the Del McCoury band, gather around just one microphone, and expertly dart in and out of it to sing and play their parts.That's an art form in itself. Lots of fast "hoe down" type stuff, lots of instrumental breaks, lots of high singing, lots of high harmony. That singing style is known in Bluegrass circles as the "High lonesome" sound. Here's a link to an article that explains it fairly well. Hope this helps some, but really, just try it and have fun this week!

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-di...-country-music

[BigDaddyUker]

Don't get too hung up on what exactly bluegrass music is. It doesn't matter who you ask because no one agrees completely.
My definition of what bluegrass or mountain music is would be fast pass, three-part harmony, using guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass with an instrumental break.
Lots of gospel songs are sung in this genre too.
Just look up bluegrass songs and you will find more than enough music.

Take "Ill Fly Away". That song, in my mind, is typical bluegrass and typical gospel. It can be sung fast or slow. If you bring it slowly will it still be a bluegrass song? IMO yes.

Here is a perfect example.........and what is that?????? A uke????!!!!

OMG, you better call Bill!

...fast pace, three-part harmony, using guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass with an instrumental break...

ummm - what's is called when it's medium pace, 1 part squeal, no guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle or upright bass; no instrumental break and sung by a big redneck trying to grow a beard????????

[wee_ginga_yin]

I like to do you for, a song Mr Monroe, Marilyn father, taught me
when He came to Finland to learn the Finnish Ukulele.

[hendulele]

As Linda and Trent have said, most bluegrass bands incorporate gospel songs and spirituals. Some (like Del McCoury and Sam Bush) bring in rock or folk songs. There's also a direct link to Irish and Scottish music, too (since that's where many of the mountain folk came from originally).

Then there are the superstars who play the old stuff like nobody else. Sam Bush, the King of Telluride and the Mayor of Merlefest, and his great band bring a Carter Stanley song here. Carter was Ralph's brother.

[Joko]

My intention for today was to head out to "One Rock", the only significant tourist destination nearby this town of Kalaymyo, where I happen to be in this point of my motorcycle tour.

Nope. No such luck. Today also happens to be the last day of the Thingyan festival here in Myanmar. Thingyan is the water festival, a celebration of the Buddhist New Year. At sunset, I couldn't get out of town. The roads were blocked by revelers. So, I just turned down a side street and found a place in town.

The pig was sleeping. You'll see! But as I started warming up on the ukulele, the pig ran over, interested in what was going on.

[Ginas uke]

Greetings,

I know one or two, probably the same ones as everyone else! Gonna gives it a try this week.

Ciao

[YorkSteve]

I was glad to see this one brought up as an example of what Bluegrass is, as it was one of the few on that list of 100 that I vaguely know. It is definitely a weak area in my musical knowledge. But I'm not going to let that stop me.

[CeeJay]

Frankie Rodgers wrote this ,and it seems to have been adopted by Bluegrassers everywhere. Just to show,it can be slow lol.

[cazteclo]

Ahoy everybody
The theme this week is bluegrass... since I am unsure as to what exactly makes bluegrass 'bluegrass', I decided to try this...
I hope this classifies as Bluegrass (and not country or something like that)

[cazteclo]

Ahoy again.
Since I neglected to submit a song yesterday I thought I would do two today.
I am still not 100% sure as to what is bluegrass so I did this - Rowboat - a Beck song (that has been covered by Johnny Cash).
When I think of bluegrass think of someone sitting on the porch in a shack in the mountains, playing and singing; I can imagine doing that with this song.