Banjos Research Paper

Southern music known today as country music became popular in the 1920’s. This was music that was based on folk music of cowboys in the southeast (Collins English Dictionary, 2003). In most of the early music the artist played stringed instruments like fiddles, guitars, banjos and some were even playing harmonicas. When this type of music started some people called it

An easy to play folk instrument is the hurdy gurdy. In the text it even says it's "foolproof". To play it, you just have to turn a crank and press some keys.

Music was also an important part of the minstrel show. Minstrel music was established in the late 1830's with the development of the five-string banjo. This new form of music became very popular as the performers, working usually in pairs, toured from town to town. In 1843, Dan Emmetts of the Virginia Minstrels performed the first minstrel show with banjo, fiddle, bones, and tambourine. From this point, "minstrel mania" swept the nation as hundreds of minstrel troupe

Dr. Ralph Edmond Stanley, a well known American Bluegrass artist, was born February 25, 1927, in Big Spraddle Creek, Virginia. He just recently passed away last year on June 23, 2016. During those 89 years of life, Mr. Stanley sure made a name for himself to be remembered for many years after he was gone. There were two things that made him stand out from many of the bluegrass artists. Those things were his original voice and his unique way of picking the banjo. Mr. Stanleys mother bought him his first banjo for five dollars when he was around 15 or 16. His mother taught him to play clawhammer style on the banjo and later in life he developed his own style from this strumming style. After graduation from high school in May of 1945, he went into the Army for about a year. The day he came home from the war, Carter, his Brother, and his father picked him up and later that night he made an appearance on the radio singing

The fiddle had a high pitched sound that went along well with the “high lonesome” singing (Langrall, 1986). It is not certain when the banjo entered, but it was the next instrument added to strings for Appalachian music. The next stringed instrument was the guitar. Bands called String Bands came around and as they were reserved, they when out and entertained people, instead of just singing with a couple of people (Langrall, 1986). These String Band players played court days, political rallies, country fairs and at other social gatherings (langrall, 1986). Sting bands would play for dances such as the waltz (Olson). As the string bands started with the fiddle when the banjo gain popularity in the Appalachian music it was included in the sting bands followed by the guitar and the mandolin

Leis and Luaus are all that really come to mind when a ukulele is mentioned, but to many people’s surprise some evidence suggests otherwise. It is said that the ukulele is a possible derivative of a similar Portuguese instrument called the machete, which literally translates to “jumping flea”. This instrument was taken over seas on boats when work hands for plantations were brought over. The ukulele gained popularity when King Kalakaua of Hawaii, a musician himself, took it up and essentially made it an icon. This instrument has heavily influenced modern music, visible in the musical stylings of “Twenty One Pilots”, Jason Mraz, and many Disney soundtracks with its light and happy sounds with a slight feeling of folk.

The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments; meaning that the strings run in a plane parallel to the sound table. Most people believe that the ukulele originated in Hawaii however, they actually had their first start in Portugal in 139 B. C in the Lusitania tribe. By the thirteenth century, four-string instruments were being used in Spain, when six-string instruments were introduced in the 1700s the popularity of chordophones exploded. (A chordophone is a musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points.) Although we all picture ukuleles as a Hawaiian instrument, it wasn't until 1879 that the first ukulele was brought over from Portugal. One of the Portuguese

Ukuleles, what makes them so special? Why devote an entire paper to them? Obvious questions for everyone who are not familiar with the instrument, however those who know they instrument as well as someone who plays them know they have a vibrant history, are perfect for entertaining and creating, and more so than the average stringed instrument like the more popular big brother, the acoustic guitar, are warmly unique.

For the average guitarist on a budget, or for those who are looking to get into learning how to play, there are few instruments better than the Ibanez line. One specific example of this is the Ibanez RG2EX1. Let's look a little deeper to see just what it has to offer. Features: The body of the RG2EX1 is made of basswood, a common feature for lower end guitars. Though the price of the wood in high quantities is relatively cheap, they generally make instruments with good resonance and sound quality. There are two modern, sleek looking finishes available with the Ibanez RG2EX1, including jet black and royal blue. The neck is bolted on the guitar, and made of three separate pieces of maple wood. The fretboard, meanwhile, is made of rosewood. It has twenty four jumbo frets with pearloid dot inlays. The bridge of the guitar, in an effort to keep price down, is fixed instead of tremolo. This takes away your ability to do dive bombs or some other popular hard rock maneuvers, but it effectively keeps the strings in position and tune. All of the hardware, including the tuning heads, bridge, and selector switch , is metal and painted to match the finish. Electronically, the Ibanez RG2EX1 has a specially designed humbucking pickup in the bridge and neck position, tone and volume control knobs, and a three way selector switch. Playability: One fact most users of

In 1862, during the Civil War, German clockmaker Matthias Hohner bought out his competition and began exporting the harmonica to the United States. The harmonica was easy to carry making it a perfect instrument for the men in battle to carry in their pockets.

“If ever an instrument belonged to the lower strata of society, the cornett did. They were the poor white trash among musical instruments. Not only were they cheaply made, but they were noted for their poverty of musical qualities. Constructed of wood and covered with leather their tone was colorless, coarse and windy.  Anyone with a pocketknife, a pot of glue and a thin skiver of leather could make one of these instruments... The tone was dull and windy, but for some strange reason it became extremely popular. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it became the most popular wind instrument in Europe.”

The origin of bagpipes has never been truly confirmed. However, there have been many visual and textual clues that have given historians an idea of where they came from.

Ever since the first time I heard the ukulele played I was astounded at how deep and resonant the sound came out, and at the time only had known it to be a souvenir, or a toy. I had a new found respect for the ukulele, which has stuck with me fourteen years later.

In conclusion, the paper discussed the history of classical guitar. Classical guitar has a long history and has been in existence for many centuries. The development of guitar has changed from the medieval period, renaissance, baroque era, the classical era, romantic era and finally in the twentieth century to

Being comfortable playing the guitar doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be a master of your instrument. You just need to be aware of the most essential skills, like being able to play the chords of your chosen song without thinking too much.