Listen to Will the Circle Be Unbroken Carter family style.
Ask students to listen for the part-singing. How many voices/parts do you hear?
Bill Monroe and his brothers started singing and recording music about the same time as the Carter family. Monroe fused the influences of his two childhood mentors, Uncle Pen Vandiver and Arnold Schultz. Uncle Pen played the fiddle, and had a rich repertoire of songs and melodies that Monroe was to draw from throughout his career. His fiddle-playing techniques became an intricate part of Monroe's style of mandolin playing. Until this time, the mandolin was known mostly as a "parlor" instrument with ties to Eastern Europe and and instrument of choice for recently immigrated Italian Americans in the late 1800's. Arnold Schultz was a African American country blues player who inspired Monroe's mandolin playing and adding 3-part harmony produced what was termed "the bluegrass sound", named for the area of Kentucky where Monroe hailed from.
The addition of the banjo, an African-American instrument, along with the mandolin, fiddle and part-singing created the sound of bluegrass music now recognized all over the world. Although the banjo can be heard in Old Time music, the playing style is different, and known as "claw hammered".
Listen to the DLA recording Banjo Pickin' Girl.
The sound of the claw hammered banjo is associated with Old Time music.
Listen to the DLA recording Raymond's Breakdown.
The banjo lead is often called "Scruggs" style, named for banjo player Earl Scruggs. This is the sound of Bluegrass music, according to many experts, especially played along with the mandolin and fiddle. Bluegrass musicians play many lead breaks, sometimes entire pieces that sound like lead breaks called breakdowns.
Listen to the DLA recording Pretty Polly.
Ask students to identify all the instruments (bass, guitar, fiddle, banjo). Ask students to describe the singing.
As students listen to DLA recordings of Bluegrass and Old Time music, have them complete the work sheet of Old Time and Bluegrass music.
The worksheet can be found at the end of this lesson on page 4.
Listening Lessons
It is difficult for middle school students to hear individual instruments that are unfamiliar to them.
Demonstrating a banjo, a fiddle or a mandolin, even if you don't play melodies or strum chords on those instruments can help students focus on the sounds you are teaching.
The Internet has several sites where you can learn at least a chord or a simple tune for these instruments.