Euro-American Music in the US

Broadside Ballads

printed on one sheet of paper, often with just the text and an indication of which tune to sing

Earl Scruggs

Banjo player (mainly) from NC Joined Bill Monroe's band in1944, pioneered at "3 finger" banjo playing technique Joined Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Lester Flatt Recorded for over 30 years, very popular especially in the 1960s during the Urban Folk Revival "Cripple Creek" and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett"

Pete Seeger

Born to famed musicologist Charles Seeger Worked with Alan Lomax; learns music from Lead Belly, Ruth Crawford (his stepmother), and Woody Guthrie Forms The Weavers in the 1940s Political views deeply involved in his music, "If I Had a Hammer" Brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee Writes his own songs and records American folk songs "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" "On Top of Old Smokey," "Rye Whiskey," "Guantanamera"

Bela Fleck

Combines folk banjo (bluegrass) playing with jazz and classical music, especially with his group The Flecktones Has also done a number of collaborations with musicians throughout the world Probably the premiere banjo player in the world

Punch Brothers

Contemporary bluegrass group, formed by mandolinist Chris Thile (formerly of Nickel Creek) They play all kinds of contemporary bluegrass music with their own style but also do many covers of other popular bands like Radiohead Thile won MacAurthur "Genius" Grant in 2012

Carolina Chocolate Drops

Contemporary group playing early folk music, bluegrass, early jazz and country as well as their own original songs in these styles Influenced by fiddler Joe Thompson Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind (2006) Genuine Negro Jig (2010) Leaving Eden (2012)

Bluegrass

Draws from the same folk music traditions of old time music Generally thought of as originating in the 1940s, especially with Bill Monroe and his band The Blue Grass Boys, also with Earl Scruggs (once a member of Monroe's band) Notions of what is considered or is not considered bluegrass are often debated Involves virtuosity, some commercial success, embraced by all kinds of socio-economic groups Generally has same instrumentation as Old Time music

Tim Erikson

Expert in shape-note singing Plays Old Time music as well but with his own flare Self described "hardcore Americana" musician Tours internationally playing music and records many songs "on location" Has his own band from fictional town-Pumpkintown, where his "folksongs" originate Worked on the soundtrack for Cold Mountain (2003)

Other European American Folk Musics

Hymn songs along with other folk tunes, canons, fugue-ing tunes, battle hymns, and others were codified and printed in books. They were mostly strophic (same music/different text), but others were AAB (fuging tunes) or through-composed Some of these hymns/songs were adapted for instruments (fiddles, dulcimers, etc.)

Early Euro-American Instrumental Music

Many of these songs are dance tunes - social dances from (mainly English speaking) Europe; country dances, square dances, line dances - they are participatory Fiddle is popular instrument for these songs - same as violin but played differently Like some of the psalm singing traditions - a mixture of literate and non-literate musicians passed this music down, sometimes in written form and sometimes orally

The Banjo

Plucked string instrument (modern instrument largely 5-string), strings are stretched across membrane Similar instruments came to the Americas through enslaved Africans (as many as 60 distinct but similarly plucked chordophones) with strings and a vibrating membrane stretched over a gourd or shell Played by blackface minstrel performers The rhythmic figured in banjo playing influenced the "ragged" rhythms in ragtime music By 1860 mass-produced banjos were being played by rural white Southerners who probably learned to play from black musicians The five-string banjo becomes popular after WWII (again)

Murder Ballads

Popular broadside ballads that deal have lyrics that address often violent or tragic events They "commemorate an enormous variety of shocking crimes, from notorious nineteenth-century serial killers...to [those] obscure though equally disturbing cases." - Harold Schechter, Savage Pastimes Many of these were part of the Child Ballads - "Omie Wise," "Henry Lee"

Woody Guthrie

Reportedly wrote over 1,400 songs in 9 years Met Lead Belly, Alan Lomax and Pete Seeger, among others One of the first generations of American folk musicians, especially as it was "revived" in the 1960s "This Land," original intention, forgotten lyrics, and Pete Seeger's performance at 2008 Presidential Inauguration

Ballads

Tell a story Francis James Child studies English and Scottish folk songs, complies many, called "Child Ballads" "The Elfin King" - at least 55 versions of "this" tune Cheap entertainment Songs often were passed down orally even though they were printed, British songs were "localized" "Barbara Allen" - ballad with over 198 versions of the song

Old Time Music

Term used by musicians in the Appalachian region, refers to a variety of regional styles and songs performed in this area Draws from ballads, hymns, fiddle and banjo tunes, and popular music recorded in the 1920s and 30s also African American musics like the blues Instruments include fiddles, banjos, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, hammer dulcimer, as well as some percussion instruments (washboard, bodhran, spoons), and sometimes washtub bass and jug

Lining Out vs. Singing Schools and Regular Singing

The Pilgrims and Puritans were generally very educated, but the next waves of settlers were often illiterate Hymn singing, in church settings, a form of musical call and response and didn't necessarily require literacy This religious music becomes part of folk music traditions Leader would "line out" the tune, and the congregation follows Eventually singers wanted something easier to follow and more metered, people like William Billings created singing schools in the late 18th century Billings published The New England Psalm Singer: or, American Choirster in 1770 Singing Schools use syllables to teach songs (fa, sol, la) as well as individual shapes for each note

Early American Hymnody

The Pilgrims arrive in 1620 and bring with them a tradition of unaccompanied hymn singing Their main book, the Ainsworth Psalter, was first published in 1612 The Puritans arrived in 1630 and also had their own singing tradition They soon printed the Bay Psalm Book in 1640, which is the first book printed in the British colonies in North America

Generalizations of Euro-American music

The music that the earliest European settlers brought to the Americas formed the basis of Old Time and Country music Both religious and popular musics from Britain, Ireland, Scotland take root in America For the most part, begins as amateur music-making These songs were written in books and also passed down through oral tradition; singing schools established places where people could learn how to sing and were also important social environments These songs form the basis for Old Time and early country musics

Early American Folk Music

What is now considered early American folk music comes from a variety of sources Composed written music like shape note singing, aural/oral traditions, hymns, European classical music and folk music traditions Some musicians are making efforts to keep this music alive and make it their own

Sacred Harp Singing

Also called Shape note singing Built on communal singing and participation Traditions of sacred harp still exist The Sacred Harp is one of the shape note books, and also the term for the style in general Have mutually influenced and been influenced by early American folk song Not beautiful singing but more so the experience of singing it, meaning