Caption: Phil at work, Credit: Sejan Yun
Image by: Sejan Yun 
Phil at work 

Gems of Bluegrass #925 The Standard Bluegrass Instruments

Series: Gems of Bluegrass
From: Philip Nusbaum
Length: 00:07:40

In bluegrass, there is the mandolin, the guitar, the fiddle, the banjo and the bass, and sometimes the dobro. And that’s it. But why the limitation on bluegrass instruments? Or should it be considered a limitation? Read the full description.
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Piece Description

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Gems of Bluegrass are 5 - 8 minutes drop-in modules that look at bluegrass / old time history, aesthetics and culture. Each Gem consists of multiple song clips with commentary over music beds.

Transcript

Skaggs Family Ricky Skaggs Bluegrass Rules JD’s Words of Wisdom
Skaggs Family Ricky Skaggs Bluegrass Rules Get Up John
ASV Bill Monroe 1940 – 1947 Toy Heart
Bear Family Bill Monroe Blue Moon of Kentucky Rocky Road Blues
Columbia lp Flat & Scruggs & Doc Watson Strictly Instrumental John Hardy
County Skillet Lickers Old Time Fiddle Tunes and Songs from North Georgia Soldier’s Joy
Rounder Flatt &Scruggs Mercury Sessions v. 2 Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Rural Rhythm Mac Martin & the Dixie Travelers 24 Bluegrass Favorites Swingin’ a Nine Pound Hammer
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

7:40
Outcue is a UA.

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

A, E, I , O, U.. Those are the alphabet letters that are vowels. Oh, and sometimes Y. In bluegrass, there is the mandolin, the guitar, the fiddle, the banjo and the bass. And sometimes the dobro. And that’s it. But why the limitation on bluegrass instruments? Or should it be considered a limitation?

OUTRO:

after the piece, play some good ensemble bluegrass by masterfull groups such as Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys, the Nashville Bluegrass Band.