Traditional bluegrass, as the name implies, emphasizes the traditional elements of bluegrass music, and stands in opposition to progressive bluegrass. Traditional bluegrass musicians are likely to play folk songs, songs with simple traditional chord progressions, and use only acoustic instruments. In the early years, traditional bluegrass sometimes included instruments no longer accepted in mainstream bluegrass, such as washboards and mouth harps. Traditional bands may use bluegrass instruments in slightly different ways (clawhammer style of banjo playing, or multiple guitars or fiddles within a band). In this sub-genre, the guitar rarely takes the lead (the notable exception being gospel songs), remaining a rhythm instrument. Melodies and lyrics tend to be simple, and a I-iv-V chord pattern is very common. Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music with its own roots in the English, Irish and Scottish traditional music of immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachia), as well as the music of rural African-Americans, jazz, and blues. ... Progressive bluegrass, synonymous with newgrass (a term attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker), is one of two major subgenres of bluegrass music. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in an order. ... An acoustic instrument is an musical instrument which does not produce sound using electronics, as does an electronic musical instrument. ... A washboard (left) and a piano player A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. ... A harmonica is a free reed musical wind instrument (also known, among other things, as a mouth organ, french harp, simply harp, or Mississippi saxophone), having multiple, variably-tuned brass or bronze reeds, each secured at one end over an airway slot of like dimension into which it can freely... Clawhammer and frailing describe a class of fingerpicking techniques used by banjo and, rarely, guitar players. ... Old 6-string zither banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. Its name is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a fifth apart. ...

The Festival of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Kentucky is a large bluegrass festival dedicated solely to traditional bluegrass. The Festival of the Bluegrass, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is the oldest bluegrass music festival in the bluegrass region of Kentucky. ... It has been suggested that Fayette County, Kentucky be merged into this article or section. ...

External Links

• Festival of the Bluegrass website