Top 10 Best Bluegrass Musical Instruments

Bluegrass is a genre of traditional Appalachian-American country music. Bluegrass music does not use percussion instruments, but only traditional instruments with fast and vibrant rhythms such as banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass and violin...

1. Fiddle

"Fiddle" is the popular term for the violin. The difference when people use "fiddle" and violin lies in the style of playing this instrument. A violin is used more in classical music. On the other hand, Ffddle is used in country music and other folk music.

Fiddles come in four strings and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. It can be played with the bow or by plucking the keys. For fiddles, builders often use steel strings because it gives a "brighter" and clearer sound than synthetic strings.

It is worth noting that fidlle players often do not follow the strict rules that violin players must follow. This means that you may find a fidlle player holding the guitar the wrong way, or they may not be using a chin or shoulder rest.

Due to the nature of the bluegrass genre of fast tempo, many players choose to play with a flat bridge to make it easy to play and keep a steady tempo. One of the best known bluegrass fidlee artists is Michael Cleveland. He has won the International Bluegrass Music Association's Violinist of the Year Award… 10 times!

2. Banjo

The banjo is another stringed instrument commonly used when playing country music. Banjos come in many different varieties, but the five-string version is the most commonly used among bluegrass musicians. And there is a special thing, when playing this type of music with banjo, the artist will use "Scruggs style", a style of playing with three fingers. This is a style of play named after the legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs.

The Banjo has a body usually made of wood. The top is made of animal skin. Banjo brings a special pure music quality. The artist uses a banjo to play bluegrass to create a fast rhythm.

3. Mandolin

Another popular stringed instrument in the bluegrass genre is the mandolin. This is an instrument that is said to be essential in a country orchestra, and it is as easy to learn as the guitar. Although there are several varieties of mandolin, the dome mandolin is commonly used in bluegrass. Orville Gibson of Michigan was awarded the patent for this design. The dome mandolin resembles a violin, and the top and back are very distinctively carved.

What makes Gibson's mandolin special is the design of the tops. They are made from a single piece for improved resonance and are engraved. The overall design of this instrument makes the sound louder and better.

The pluck patterns are very important for the mandolin to bring out the traditional folk music. Bill Monroe is said to be extremely famous for his unique mandolin skills. In ensembles, a larger mandolin is used. Some mandolins can be played in quartets or in orchestras. Later, the guitar served as an accompaniment when played with the mandolin in a bluegrass orchestra.

4. Dobro (Resonator Guitar)

Dobro is an American guitar line owned by Gibson. It was invented by the Dopyera Brothers, immigrants from the Slovak Republic. Resonator Guitar is an acoustic guitar. This type of guitar differs from acoustic guitars in that they are louder. This guitar has a resonator that amplifies the sound. Josh Graves is a bluegrass musician who introduced resonant guitar to bluegrass music. He plays this instrument in the style of Scruggs.

5. Ukulele

The ukulele is said to be a popular musical instrument in Hawaii. However, this is also the instrument used when playing bluegrass music. And did you know, although used and played a lot in Hawaii, the ukulele is an instrument of Portuguese origin.

Cheaper ukuleles are usually made from plywood or laminate. At the same time, expensive ones are made of solid wood. It consists of four nylon strings. The size and construction of this instrument determines the tone and volume.

There are several types of ukuleles. One is a bass ukulele whose bass-like sound is sometimes amplified. Another is banjolele. Ukulele used to play bluegrass is quite popular and Peter Rowan is a famous name for this instrument. Another name is Shimabukuro. He is known for combining some elements of different genres such as jazz, folk, bluegrass, etc.

6. Upright Bass

Upright Bass is like double bass or bass. They are named differently according to the play and style used. Bass and double bass are more commonly used in classical music. The term Upright Bass literally refers to the position of the instrument when played.

These bass instruments are the lowest-pitched as well as the loudest string instruments in the orchestra. They are usually 182.8 cm in size and consist of four or five strings. Experts say that the bass is said to bring too loud bass in the orchestra, so Upright Bass is the right choice to replace it.

7. Harmonica

There has been some debate as to whether the harmonica is a bluegrass instrument. In fact, it's only once in a while that you see a harmonica in bluegrass music. The harmonica is a wind instrument rather than a string instrument, which makes it a bit harder to clearly accompanies the bluegrass genre. There are many types of harmonica, including diatonic and chromatic.

In bluegrass, the chromatic harmonica seems to be the most used and best used. A good player can make violin-like sounds and catch up on fast tunes. In addition, if the performer uses the note Mi, the harmonica player can handle the chord changes and transitions.

Among the most famous harmonica players are Charlie McCoy and Deford Bailey. In particular, McCoy has appeared on several albums of the bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs.

8. Lap Steel Guitar

At this point, you might be confused between Guitar Resonator and Guitar Lap Steel. In terms of form, these two guitars look similar. The difference is that, Lap Steel Guitar is louder than Dobro. You can think of a Dobro guitar as an acoustic guitar, where the volume depends on your fingers. To create a loud and distinctive sound, you have to use more force when playing. On the other hand, Lap Steel Guitar is like an electric guitar. This is beneficial when it is used to play in a band.

Although the Lap Steel Guitar may seem a bit difficult to play at first, it is one of those great instruments once you get used to it. Bluegrass musician Josh Graves is credited with introducing this instrument to bluegrass music.

9. Accordion

Next, we have the accordion. There are several types of accordions. The basic essence is that the keys and bass housings on either side of the instrument are inflated and released with air to produce musical notes. To play, the accordion player compresses the bellows while simultaneously pressing the keys. The flow of air moving through the chips causes them to vibrate and sound.

The first bluegrass band was the band of Bill Monroe and The Blue Grass Boys. Originally, the band member had an accordionist, Sally Ann Forrester. She was obscured by the band as an accordion player from 1943 to 1946. Currently the accordion is most commonly used in a burgeoning genre called "NewGrass" or "Progressive Bluegrass."

10. Acoustic Bass Guitar

Last but not least in bluegrass music are Acoustic Bass Guitars, or ABGs. The ABG has a hollow wooden body with dimensions that can be similar to or larger than an acoustic guitar. ABG is similar to double bass, as both usually have four strings. But it's different from an acoustic guitar because the ABG is tuned at a lower pitch.

The good thing about ABG is that not only does it create a metallic sound from the strings, but it can also create an echo effect. As with other string instruments in the bluegrass band, you can strum, pluck, or use a bow while playing the ABG.