Country music originated in the South sometime around the
1920s. Today when you hear of Country
Music, you probably imagine guitars, cowboy hats, and a bit of a twang
mixed in with the vocals. However, there are many subcategories that can also
be considered Country music. Two of these subcategories are what has come to be
known as Texas country and Nashville country. Texas country tends to be more
traditional in its sound and dance style. Nashville country however, has more
of a pop or rock and roll sound to it as well.
Texas country has several names such as Red Dirt and Outlaw
country. Texas country tends to have more of a small town feel to it. It often
celebrates being southern and usually offers a care-free, outlaw theme. As far
as instruments are concerned, there is almost always an acoustic guitar. Texas
country seems to be more popular in rural and especially southern areas of the United
States. Some popular Texas country artists include Willy Nelson, Buckshot
Bradley, Dwight Yoakam and Charlie Robinson.
Nashville country is much less traditional than Texas country. It often mixes elements of other genres of music like Pop or Rock and Roll with the traditional country sound. Even though Nashville country also celebrates being southern and carefree, it tends to be much more mainstream. Texas country is way more based on being a ‘cowboy’ than Nashville country is. The instruments associated with Nashville country include the acoustic guitar, electric guitar and even the electric keyboard. Some popular Nashville country artists include Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Jason Aldean.
Sources
Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
In
The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music Nicholas Dawidoff, Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN
0-375-70082-X
"Country Music." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.wikipedia.org/>.
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