Traditional Bluegrass Music

One might wonder what exactly defines traditional bluegrass music. As is the case with country music, bluegrass music's sound and style has changed since Bill Monroe first recorded "Blue Moon of Kentucky" alongside Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Most think of two types when thinking of bluegrass. It's either traditional or progressive. I am personally very much partial to the sounds of traditonal bluegrass music. You can call me old-fashioned I guess. The progressive style of bluegrass music is just too "jazzy" for my taste and I love the "High Lonesome Sound" that just isn't heard in today's progressive bluegrass music. Traditional bluegrass musicians usually play folk songs on acoustic instruments. They may use their instruments in different ways. A couple of examples of this could be using two fiddles or maybe playing "claw-hammer" banjo. But, they still keep that tradtional sound! The guitar rarely will take the lead in traditional bluegrass music except for the bluegrass gospel songs. Most traditional bluegrass musicians won't even consider the newer "progressive" bluegrass music to be "real" bluegrass.