Country

Main instruments; Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums, violin, banjo, pedal steel guitar, harmonica, keyboards, percussion, sometimes strings and horns, vocals, backing vocals.

Performance and Arrangement; Use of acoustic instruments, using techniques such as strumming, chops or picking and finger-picking of banjo and guitar Simple rhythms; a strong backbeat emphasis from snare and guitar; two-to-the-bar bass lines playing root5th figures Use of or waltz time Vocal-led pop with use of close-harmony backing vocals Vocal techniques include yodelling and sudden switching from normal register to falsetto Some styles are purely acoustic, others use typical rock band instruments together with acoustic instruments

Technology and Production; The recording industry in Nashville is world-renowned there are many top studios that have been at the forefront of music production since the 1960s. Main focus is on creating clean, clear, accurate recordings of the actual instruments, rather than lots of production tricks. Nashville has a reputation of recording acoustic instruments to a good standard Electric guitar sound is often clean and slightly twangy

Main Artists; Jimmie Rodgers Blue Yodel (1927) Spade Cooley Shame on You (1945) Dolly Parton Jolene (1973) I will always love you (1974) and Heartbreaker (1978) Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)

Influences; European folk music (especially British and Irish) Blues Many influences and fusions with other contempory styles throughout the 20th century

Key Facts and Terminology; Originated in the USA in the 20th Century, mostly played by European-origin settlers Associated with cowboys in the early years, truck drivers in more recent times Lyrics often refer to the rural country lifestyle in the southern states and the American west Sub-genres; Bluegrass fast, entirely acoustic music, often instrumental, featuring banjo and violin; Western swing influence from the popular swing bands in the 1930s and 1940s to play jazz-influenced songs The recording industry in Nashville is one of the biggest centres anywhere in the world. Many rock bands have recorded there including the Rolling Stones Has huge worldwide sales despite not having much chart success