Bluegrass Live!

Glossary

– without instrumental accompaniment

– a vocal or instrument part that supports or is background for a solo part

– referring to a musical instrument, often a stringed instrument, that is not electronically amplified

– a substance which is a mixture, as by fusion, of two or more substances (most often metals)

– a nonprofessional; one who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than money

– the drive to succeed

– in music, the process of making a sound louder, larger and/or stronger

– made louder, often by electronic means

– a substance that causes loss of sensation, with or without loss of consciousness

– to write an adaptation of a musical composition, assigning different notes and phrases to different instruments or voices

– an adaptation of a composition

– an object of historical interest produced or shaped by human craft

– a song that tells a story in short stanzas, usually with a refrain; a romantic or sentimental song

– a four- or five-stringed musical instrument having a long neck and circular body topped by a tightly stretched skin or skin-like substance; usually plucked with the fingers

– the vocal range of a male voice between tenor and bass

– take great pleasure or satisfaction

– 1) a unit of musical rhythm (e.g., four beats to a measure); 2) the accented or stressed note in the rhythm of a musical piece

– a form of African-American folk music characterized by minor harmonies, (usually) a slow tempo and melancholy words

– a syncopated style of playing 4/4 time, associated with early rock music

– a stringed instrument of Greece, somewhat like a mandolin

– a thin stick strung lengthwise with horsehair or a similar substance and drawn across the strings of an instrument (e.g., fiddle, bass)

– an instrument in the wind instrument family, made of coiled metal tubes and usually having a cup-shaped mouthpiece (e.g., trumpet, cornet, trombone, tuba, etc.)

– see solo

– a duet formed of two brothers; a popular singing format in the early to mid-1900s

– a ludicrous or bumbling person; a fool

– a hardened and/or thickened area of skin

– a religious gathering held outdoors or in a tent and usually lasting several days

– a series of military operations undertaken to achieve a large-scale objective during a war

– a major human racial classification traditionally describing people with light skin and straight, wavy, or curly hair

– a piece of medical equipment that contains a spinning compartment used to separate materials or particles

– a chord, made by a very quick and strong stroke with a pick, which is stopped almost immediately by a damping of the strings, the musical effect of which is to turn the chord into a more percussive sound, similar to a drum beat

– [slang] a reference to musical skill; more specifically it can refer to ones dexterity, speed, technique, etc. in playing

– a combination of three or more tones sounded together in harmony

– a musical phrase or set of phrases (accompanied by lyrics) repeated at intervals in a song, most often after each verse; the name comes from the fact that this section of a song is usually sung by an entire singing group (also called a chorus) versus just a soloist; also called a refrain

– traditional or typical of a particular style

– an “old-time” style of playing the five-string banjo; in this style, the strumming hand is positioned with thumb and fingers a little bit separate and stiff to strike the strings with a claw-like, “hammering” downward stroke; also called frailing

– harmony in which the tones played or sung are very close to each other in pitch

– one who creates (or composes) a musical work

– a musical creation or work

– a brass musical instrument similar to a trumpet but more compact, with a longer tube and deeper mouthpiece

– to check or stop the vibration of an instrument’s strings

– a first appearance before the public

– a recording that shows the abilities of a singer, musician, or band

– to weaken the confidence or morale of; dishearten

– a lack of harmony; a chord that sounds incomplete or unharmonious until resolved (changed into) a harmonious chord

– a style of small-band, improvised jazz music which uses fast ragtime tempos and a strict beat, and is associated with early white New Orleans musicians

– an acoustic steel guitar with an aluminum resonator, usually played while held flat in one’s lap; named for its inventors, the Dopyera Brothers

– strings strung in pairs on an instrument (e.g., the mandolin)

– in music, the accented first or third beat in a measure; most often, it refers to the first beat of a measure; onbeat

– a type of guitar often used in bluegrass due to its large body and deep, large-volumed sound; named for a type of British battleship

– a piece for two voices or two instruments; the performers of such a piece

– a group of Eastern European countries which lived under the influence of the former Soviet Union until the late 1980s

– in music, a group of musicians playing or singing together; the instruments of such a group

– the process of development via gradual change

– a small, long-necked, four-stringed wooden instrument played with a bow; the smallest and highest-toned instrument in the violin family, often referred to simply as a violin

– a quick little melody line that intertwines with the main melody in a piece of music; similar to a lick

– a strip of hardwood (often ebony) fixed to the neck of a stringed instrument, against which a musician’s fingers press strings to create different tones

– a metal or plastic pick, fastened to the thumb and fingers, and used to pluck or strum the strings of an instrument (e.g., the banjo)

– the grouping of musical notes into measures of four beats each within a piece; musical time based on a 4/4 time signature

– a single metal or plastic flat pick, placed between the thumb and first finger, and used to pluck or strum the strings of a musical instrument (e.g., the mandolin)

– see clawhammer

– one of several ridged bands (often metal), which are fixed across a stringed instrument’s fingerboard to regulate the musician’s fingering

– the resistance to motion created when two things rub against each other

– a category or type of artistic composition (e.g., mystery is a genre of books; rock and roll is a genre of music)

– a job performing music

– evangelistic religious music which evolved from spirituals and the music of African-American Protestant churches in the South; characterized by close-harmony singing

– any of the awards given annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for special achievement in the recording industry

– a famous weekly live radio program, broadcast from Nashville radio station WSM, which has played an important role in the history of country and bluegrass music; the name refers to “opera” and contrasted the highbrow classical music of the day with the rustic old-time fiddle and string band music featured on the show

– a melody or rhythm that, through repetition, makes up the supporting structure of a piece of popular music

– a musical instrument related to the lute but having a flat back and (usually) six strings that are plucked or strummed with the fingers or a pick

– the sounding of two or more tones simultaneously making a pleasing sound

– two or more singers who sing in harmony

– a bumpkin; a yokel

– the round face of a banjo or drum, which is covered in a stretched skin (or plastic) that can be tightened in place by screws placed all around the edges of the head

– music characterized by high tenor parts, minor harmonies and a melancholy feel; describes the classic bluegrass sound, as created by Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

– to provide educational instruction outside of established schools at home

– a lick, or quick melodic phrase, played to show off and dazzle with its technical difficulty

– a facility, such as a theater or restaurant, that provides entertainment or food for the public

– something of mixed composition

– a painter who practices impressionism; a painter who’s goal is to show the changing effects of light by applying paint in short strokes

– the act of improvising; something that has been improvised; something invented or composed without preparation

– to simultaneously compose and perform on the spur of the moment and without any preparation; in music, improvising often results in a variation on a basic melody or tune

– originating and growing in an area

– one who plays and performs on a musical instrument

– to get together informally with other musicians to play improvised (unrehearsed) music

– an informal music session, often involving players who do not regularly play together, such as those meeting at a party or festival

– a style of music, characterized by syncopation, rubato, heavily accented rhythms, dissonance, melodic variation, and unusual tonal effects on brass and reed wind instruments; musical style originating in the 19th century with African-Americans in the South

– considered by many to be the “father of country music”, Rodgers was one of the first country music solo acts to gain stardom in the early 20th century; early in life, Rodgers worked as a brakeman on the railroad, thus gaining the name “the Singing Brakeman” when he began his singing career; Rodgers was also known as the “Mississippi Blue Yodeler” due to his unusual incorporation of yodeling into his music; an adaptation of Rodger’s song, “Muleskinner Blues,” became one of Bill Monroe’s first big bluegrass hits

– a system of related notes or tones named after a particular note (e.g., the key of “A”) and forming a particular scale

– the leading part or main melody within a musical composition; the instrument which plays this part

– a melodic phrase, often quick, improvised and inserted between two longer musical phrases; usually associated with blues and jazz music

– the words that make up a song

– in music, referring to tonal patterns and chords in which the intervals between tones are a halftone larger than minor intervals; associated with music that sounds happy and celebratory

– a small musical instrument of the lute family with four to six pairs of strings stretched over a deep, rounded sound box

– the notes and rests contained between two vertical lines (bars) on a musical staff; the number of beats per measure is determined by the time signature

– a pleasing arrangement of sounds in sequence

– a teacher or coach

– to move from one place to another

– in music, referring to tonal patterns and chords in which the intervals between tones are a halftone smaller than major intervals; associated with music that sounds melancholy or sad

– having to do with a comic variety show presented by performers who sing, play instruments, and tell jokes; traditionally presented by performers in blackface

– 1) a tone of specific pitch, as made by a musical instrument; 2) a symbol for a tone of particular duration, whose place on the musical staff determines its pitch

– in music, any of the beats of a measure that traditionally have weak, or secondary, accents; in bluegrass and jazz, the music’s rhythm is often varied by placing strong accents on the offbeats; also see upbeat

– see downbeat

– a style of music developed primarily in the Southern Appalachians, with roots in Celtic (Ireland/Scotland) folk music brought to the area by early settlers; old-time music is considered the precursor and a main influence in the development of bluegrass and country music

– see parlor instrument

– an instrument originally designed to be played by amateurs at home in their living rooms, or parlors; these instruments were quieter than their successors, which were designed to be loud and resonant so as to cut through noisy concert hall performance conditions

– similar to the sound of a drum, with a short rapping or tapping sound

– a small, pointed piece of metal or plastic, used to pluck or strum the strings of a musical instrument

– a musician who plays bluegrass music, especially one with musical talent or prowess; though the term refers to the fact that most bluegrass instruments (e.g., mandolin, guitar, dobro, banjo) are played with a pick, even fiddlers and bass players are called this

– the element of a tone or sound determined by the frequency of sound wave vibrations reaching the ear; the greater the frequency, the higher the pitch

– a relatively short portion of a melodic line which expresses a musical idea, comparable to a line or sentence in poetry

– a small instrument of ivory, wood, metal, or quill, used in playing many stringed instruments (e.g., banjo, mandolin, guitar); also called a pick

– a banjo played with a pick

– to pull and quickly release the strings of a musical instrument, creating brief, often percussive, musical tones

– having to do with the latest developments in something

– the main character in a literary work

– superior ability or skill

– a piece for four voices or four instruments; the performers of such a piece

– a ragtime musical composition

– a style of music popular from 1890–1920 and characterized by syncopation, improvisation (on occasion) and even time; a musical style influential in the development of jazz

– an instrument in the wind instrument family which has a reed attached to its mouthpiece (e.g., clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone); when vibrated by the breath, the reed produces a musical tone

– a musical phrase or set of phrases (accompanied by lyrics) repeated at intervals in a song, most often after each verse; also called a chorus

– a particular government or administration

– in musical terms, all of the musical pieces written by a certain composer or created within a certain genre or category

– a device which produces and/or increases the intensity (resonance) and volume of sound coming from an instrument

– in music, a measured interval of silence between two notes

– the term which denotes the organization of sound in time; the temporal quality of sound

– an early form of rock-and-roll with a strong country music influence

– a musical style which evolved in the 1950s from rhythm and blues, characterized by the use of electric guitars, strong syncopated rhythms and youth-oriented lyrics

– a novice or inexperienced recruit

– a hard, brittle, sticky resin, rubbed on a bow to prevent it slipping on an instrument’s strings

– the modification of a melody by randomly lengthening some notes and shortening others; deviation from a strict tempo; also called “stolen time”

– in music, a rapid succession of tones; also called a lick

– a series of tones, in order of rising or falling pitches, in accordance with a specific pattern of musical intervals (distance between pitches)

– musical pieces played in direct succession in a performance

– a style of guitar playing, developed in Hawaii, which uses a slide along the fingerboard to create different tones and a type of string tuning that makes some strings slack against the fingerboard

– in music, to bring one’s hand down on an instrument’s strings after plucking them, so that the sound of the string hitting the fingerboard creates an extra rhythmic sound

– 1) a smooth progression of tones, created by pressing a string on a fretless instrument’s fingerboard, then sliding one’s fingers along the fingerboard (rather than picking them up and placing them again) to create different tones; 2) a metal bar which is slid along a stringed instrument’s fingerboard, in the process pressing down strings to create different tones (used most often on the dobro, but also on the guitar)

– one who studies human social behavior, especially the study of the organization, institutions, and development of human society

– a musical piece to be played or sung by one person

– a task before a performance during which the performer goes on stage to test the sound equipment to ensure that the sound levels (volume, bass, treble, etc.) are set correctly

– the manner in which three or more singers layer the harmony and melody parts in a song; different bluegrass bands became famous for different approaches to stacking their harmonies on songs; for example, the Blue Grass Boys always had the melody as the middle voice (with a tenor harmony above, and a baritone one below), while the Osborne Brothers had the melody as the highest voice

– in music, the horizontal lines on and between which notes are written; the placement of a note on the staff indicates its pitch

– the largest and deepest-tone instrument of the violin family, plucked or played with a bow; also called a double bass

– a group of lines of verse forming one section of a song, usually containing a regular pattern of rhythm and rhyme

– a band of stringed instruments, usually including guitar, banjo and fiddle, which plays folk and/or country music

– any of a family of musical instruments, often made of wood, in which the tones are produced by vibrating strings (e.g., fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass and dobro)

– to prolong or extend

– having syncopation, or accents shifted from their normal locations in a musical and/or rhythmic piece

– music or rhythm in which the accent is shifted from the usual place—most often the first beat—to an offbeat

– the speed at which a musical composition is performed

– a range of musical tones (usually from an octave below middle C to an octave above) between alto and bass in four-part harmony; the second to lowest part in four-part harmony

– a banjo with a tenor range

– 1) the grouping of rhythmic beats into measures of equal length; 2) a musical piece’s characteristic rhythm, as determined by the time signature

– a sign consisting of one number over another, indicating the number of beats in the following measure(s) and the unit of measurement (a note of 1 beat duration, 2 beat duration, etc.)

– a sound that is distinct and identifiable by its constant pitch (equaling a regularity of sound wave vibration), as opposed to just noise

– the metal ring found on the inside of a banjo, between the head and the rim, that enhances the banjo’s volume and sound by amplifying and extending the length of the sound vibrations; not found on early banjos

– to arrange or adapt music for a particular instrument

– relating to arranging or adapting music for a particular instrument

– a piece for three voices or three instruments; the performers of such a piece

– to adjust a musical instrument to a certain standard or pattern of pitches; on stringed instruments, to tighten or loosen the strings so as to create different patterns of pitches

– a series of tones forming a rhythmic piece; melody

– in music, the weak or unaccented beats within a measure; most often, it refers to the second or fourth beats of a measure; offbeat

– a period, ranging from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, in which traditional folk music (ranging from Elizabethan ballads to Appalachian fiddle tunes and bluegrass) gained a renewed popularity in urban regions and on college campuses

– polite; refined; often elegant in manner

– the branch of entertainment consisting of stage shows including comic skits, songs (some satirical), dances, acrobatics, pantomime and other theatrical endeavors

– a group of lines (or stanza) forming one of the divisions of a song, usually followed by the refrain

– in music, a person demonstrating great skill in musical performance

– one who sings; a singer

– the part of a song that is sung rather than played on instruments

– a musical style characterized by a moderately-paced 3/4 time with accented first beats in each measure; a type of ballroom dance

– a style of music, first developed in the 1920s, incorporating jazz, blues and old-time “mountain” music, and characterized by the use of large bands, fast tempos and written ensemble arrangements

– an instrument whose player creates a musical tone by blowing into the instrument’s mouthpiece; variation in breath current changes the pitch of the tone

– a singing style in which the singer abruptly alternates between a normal chest voice and falsetto; originally popular among the mountain people of Switzerland and Austria, yodeling was integrated into American country music by such famous singers as Jimmie Rodgers