Honky tonk music originally developed in the 40’s in honky tonk bars near Texan oil fields. Honky tonk acts typically included drums, stand-up bass, fiddle, pedal steel guitar, and acoustic guitar, and the songs tended to be about pain, heartbreak, love, and loneliness. The History of Country Music – Part 2

Country music was among the earliest genres in American popular music, with the very earliest style being old-time music. It evolved in the American’s southeastern states as a combination of African American blues, church music, and folk music from the British Isles. It was performed on such instruments as the banjo, fiddle, autoharp, mandolin, and the acoustic guitar. Old-time music reared its head in the 1920’s, with Carter Family’s recordings being the most successful A.P. Carter not only collected folk songs, he also wrote them and sang them while his wife and sister-in-law played the guitar. They were country music’s first stars with songs like Wildwood Flower. Yodelling and Grand Ole Opry Jimmie Rodgers was another early star in the genre. He and the Carters recorded their music in the same sessions. African Americans taught Rodgers how to sing work chants and blessings and how to play guitar at the railroad where he worked. Having also heard folk music and old-time songs, he melded all of these styles into his own. He frequently opted for a style of singing known as yodelling. Blue Yodel, which was his first successful song, achieved close to 500,000 sales in 1927. Before the advent...

The Foxtrot is a famous ballroom dance that has been around for decades. For those familiar with ballroom dancing stars, the dancer Fred Astaire is a well-known name. Fred Astaire with his partner Ginger Rogers is said to be the best at the Foxtrot. The dance is meant to compliment Astaire’s smooth dancing ability. When audiences saw his performances, other dancers adapted to the famous ballroom style. The dance is commonly referred to as the Rolls Royce of hops, as it is the smoothest and most romantic of dances. The quicker version of the Foxtrot is more widely known as the quickstep. The Quickstep is a light-hearted dance compared to the foxtrot. Characteristics of The Foxtrot The Foxtrot is like the usual ballroom dances that you usually see in movies. Like the Waltz, the Foxtrot is a smooth, romantic and very powerful dance. The movements are not jerky like dances like the salsa.  The dance consists of steps, which occupy one beat of the music, and slow steps, which take up two beats. The dance is designed to be extremely hard for the participator as it follows a specific rhythm and demands switches between pace and “smoothness.” The footwork timing...

Music is discovered continuously in the most unusual of places, from bathrooms to your nan’s living room. As a type of music that makes use of all the styles of music, Ska mainly originated in Jamaica. The form primarily comprises of American jazz mixed with R&B. Ska is considered to be punk music but a lot slower with brass and string instruments. Ska is commonly heard on high-powered radio stations and needs an acquired taste. The very purpose behind the style was for dancing. With upbeat tempos and heart-quickening beats, the music is an exciting experience to discover for the novice music lover. A Ska Band Composition The typical instruments in a ska band are bass, drums, guitars, keyboards and horns along with the occasional saxophone, Trombone, and trumpet. Guitars in ska bands are known to hit the 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats in the songs and drum hitting the 2nd and 4th beats. The style of rhythm creates an energetic beat that makes it perfect for dancing. It is upbeat and exciting to be played at parties and social gatherings. What makes Ska music’s beat unique is that it focuses mainly on deep bass. In the 1960s, the music...