What is the difference between the mainstream country music and bluegrass?

Answer 1

Bluegrass is more acoustic, minimally produced. Mainstream country is "big", overly produced, flashy, and commercial.

Bluegrass music is very close to the Appalachian and Ozark Mountain roots which are closely related to the folk music of the British Isles music of the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Mainstream country music has its roots in the cowboy music of the 19th century.

Answer 2

Mainstream country has gone more to a pop style, less acoustic and less of tradtional instruments. You don't hear much banjo, autoharp, mandolin, etc. Current country artists tend to want crossover hits, and not be limited to country. The Dixie Chicks had a bluegrass sound until they soured on country in general; sort of a pop bluegrass, though. Alison Kraus and Union Station and Nickle Creek are "progressive bluegrass."

Answer 3

I would tend to agree that Bluegrass is much more acoustic than what is now mainstream country. Country nowadays is more like rock and roll than what we would have considered country 40 years ago.

With bluegrass, the emphasis is more on the instruments rather than the vocals. That is what I think of when I think of the difference.

Answer 4

Mainstream country is broader in scope and is written to appeal to a broader popular country music audience. Bluegrass is a specific style of country/folk music that is characterized by choice of instruments (generally including a 5 string banjo and often using a fiddle) and a style that is much easier to communicate by hearing various examples rather than trying to explain in typed text.

Answer 5

Bluegrass is usually the sound that came out of the mountains in Tennessee, Smoky Mountains, etc. Alot of "fiddles" are used in the music and it usually has a faster beat than country. Most of the time the songs tell a story.

Traditional country music is almost a mix of gospel and blues. Very simple beat and lyrics. Referred to as "redneck or cryin' in your beer music.

Answer 6

Mainstream country is more pop, or "radio friendly"

For example, more electric guitars to give it a rock edge, and electric bass guitars are used, to give it more pop or soul foundation.

More track layering is done in the studio with mainstream country music, and more electronics are used, such as sequencers, keyboards, synthesizers, and sound enhancement.

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Bluegrass is more traditional. There are hardly ever any electronics used, except for microphones, sound mixers, and PA systems.

The base of bluegrass is rooted in traditional chord progressions, and much of the material is based in gospel, irish, english, and scottish traditional music. For the most part bluegrass uses acoustic instrumentation, such as banjos, acoustic guitars, upright bass, and natural voice.

Answer 7

Country music is actually a catch-all category that embraces several different genres of music: Nashville sound (the pop-like music very popular in the 1960s); bluegrass, a fast mandolin, banjo and fiddle-based music popularized by Bill Monroe and by Flatt and Scruggs; Western, which encompasses traditional Western cowboy campfire ballads and Hollywood cowboy music made famous by Roy Rogers, The Sons of the Pioneers, and Gene Autry; Western swing, a sophisticated dance music popularized by Bob Wills; the Bakersfield sound which used the new Fender Telecaster guitars, a big drum beat, and dance style music that would catch your attention like "a freight train running (Buck Owens)" (popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard); outlaw country made famous in the 1970's by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, David Alan Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams, Jr.,; Cajun style music from the Louisiana Bayou; zydeco; Evangelical Christian inspired gospel; oldtime (generally pre-1930 folk music); honky tonk; Appalachian; rockabilly; neotraditional country; and jug band.
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Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music with its own roots in English, Irish, African and Scottish traditional music. The name of the genre is derived from the Blue Grass Boys, the name of Bill Monroe's band. Bill Monroe is considered the Father of Bluegrass music" and was a native of Kentucky. Inspired by immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachia), as well as the music of rural African-Americans, jazz, and blues. Like jazz, bluegrass is played with each melody instrument switching off, playing improvised solos in turn while the others revert to backing; this is in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together or one instrument carried the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment. Bluegrass is distinctively acoustic, rarely using electric instruments.
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Neotraditional country was born as a reaction to the perceived blandness of mainstream country music, and is a stylistic throwback to a time when virtuosity and musical integrity were more important than image. New (or "neo-") traditionalism looked to the elders of country music like Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams and Kitty Wells for inspiration, and was a precursor to the more general categorization known as New country.

Answer 8

I agree with the f*ck you guy.

This is like asking what the difference between pop and punk.
Or local music and MTV music....

Sheesh......Think.

Answer 9

They suck on different levels.