Country Western Music Is The Perfect Blend Of Two Regional Styles

A song can be the window to your heart and kind of music you like could very well map out your personality. But again there are many of us who do not stick to particular genre of music and have a taste that ranges across barriers of the land. Music indeed can be the perfect string that ties people of different country, religion and culture in a warm bond. Country Western music is one such genre that has evolved as a result of merging together of two regional styles that were born in America. The Southeast region had a unique style (country music) and so had the Southwest and West (western music). The two styles were merged together around the 1920's and were further consolidated as a result of the musicians of both styles mixing with each other during service in World War II.

The music lovers across the globe can get best of both the worlds through the form of Country Western music which has adapted the best points from both country and western music. The main distinguishing factor between the two styles is that country music is much simpler and stresses on the use of few instruments like the guitar, fiddle, banjo and harmonica. The Southwest style depends more on steel guitars and big bands, distinguished by a strong rhythm section, usually including double bass and drums with the tempo varying from medium to fast. Country Western music has managed to absorb the attractive aspects of the styles and emerge as a genre that has touched the heartstrings of millions of music lovers across the world.

The origin of the country western music is from folk songs, ballads and traditional music of the Scottish, English and Irish settlers with modern lyrics that describe and depict the story of the rural and urban-poor whites. The rural African-American like the Jazz and Blues has also left an impression on this particular style of music. The country western music has also played a significant role in the development of rock music. Over the last five decades or so, the genre of country western music has gained a worldwide audience. Bluegrass is also a style of this kind of country western music that is distinguished by each instrument like the fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin and upright bass taking a turn and improvising on it while the other instruments revert to backing. Bluegrass is also distinctively acoustic and rarely relies on electric instruments.

Country western music also has traces and influence of Celtic music, Gospel music, Hokum and North American old-time music. Country music in itself has produced two of the top selling solo artistes of all times - 'The King' Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks. Country western music has again undergone a revival phase with the influx of performers such as Tanya tucker, The Judds, Ricky Scaggs and Reba McEntire who have gained tremendous popularity. So music lovers across the world are in for treat with the revival of this popular genre that is country western music.

Tom Janison is a music fanatic. He loves downloading music of all his favorite artists. www.ez-tracks.com is one of his favorites sites for Country Western Music ,free MP3 downloads and online music.

Rock and Roll Guitar - Was It A Mixture of Blues, And Country Music?

It's difficult to really define what Rock and Roll music is, or where it really started, but Rock and Roll is definitely when guitar playing as we now know it started.

Elvis Presley must be given some of the credit for it, with his hips swinging and the raunchiness of the songs, although he did not really play guitar well at the time. He did however start the craze of screaming girls at his shows, it was all about sex really, and in fact that is how it got the name Rock & Roll.

The roots of Rock & Roll go back to the late 40's, and were influenced by blues and gospel music later the big band swing, and rhythm and blues; it was also influenced by country guitar music.

Some of the artist's of the time such as Elvis Presley with "That's Alright Mama" and Bill Hayley's "Rock Around The Clock", at the time the piano was the main instrument in the band, until Chuck Berry turned up with songs like "Johnny Be Good" with that famous Guitar Riff, which we still hear today.

I had the pleasure of seeing Chuck Berry playing live in Leicester, England; he was 64 years old then, but still Rocking, a great show.

England's answer to Elvis Presley was Cliff Richards and the Shadows, (which were basically an electric guitar band) with "Living Doll", unfortunately Cliff didn't make it big in America, but he is still going strong in England at the ripe age of 80 and has just released his latest album.

In the early 60?s we saw the start of what was to be called "The Swinging 60's" or sometimes "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll", the biggest Band was The Beatles who when they played could not even hear themselves because of the screaming girls, and poor P.A. systems.

The Beatles were the first British artist's to make it big in the U.S.A.; they were unique then as they wrote most of the song's that they performed, and in fact they changed music, and the rules of the music we hear today.

They also wrote "I Wanna Be Your Man" which became the first hit record for the Rolling Stones, who also made it in the United States, and they still perform sellout concerts to this day, even at their age, so there's hope for us all yet.

In the late 60's-early 70's we had the Glam Rock and the psychedelic era, and saw bands such as Jefferson Airplane, T Rex, Mud, and Wizard as well as Jimmy Hendrix and David Bowie, the style of guitar playing became more aggressive with a rise into Hard Rock and Heavy metal, we saw AC/DC, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.

It is my belief that Rock and Roll music will be with us in some form or another for a long time yet, and people will still be influenced by it, and will continue to buy records and learn to play guitar, whichever style of music they choose to play, it is all related anyway.

I hope that you can see now how Rock and Roll Guitar was a mixture of Blues, Country Guitar music, as well as Swing and Rhythm and blues.

I hope that you have found this article of interest, it has been written out of my love of this type of music, and in particular my love of good guitar playing.

Please feel free to comment on it, and to share it with others.

Keep on playing

"Wolfie"

"Wolfie" is passionate about his guitar playing, and has a website for people that would like learn how to play guitar, and share in his passion. Why not pick up the FREE! lessons on his site.
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