Post 9: Conclusion

Although Bluegrass and Psychedelic music are two very different entities in their instrumentation, origin, style, etc.; they both have similarities when it comes to stylistic aspects of the cultures. Both were influenced by Jazz and Blues music which contributes a lot to their style, mainly to their rhythmic elements and their tempos, as well as to the use of improvisation and solos. Even though Bluegrass has more of a set structure and Psychedelic music is more free-form, both use some of the same stylistic techniques to perform their purpose, especially when it comes to solos or improvisation. While both of these music cultures are very different it is evident that they both have influences from Jazz and Blues and that they are both American styles of music.

Post 8: Examples

Two examples I am going to use to demonstrate these similarities are: “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix and “Uncle Pen” by Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys.

The first similarity, influence of Jazz and Blues in both cultures, is demonstrated in “Purple Haze” by the pentatonic Blues riff that Jimi plays at the opening of the song. In the riff some notes are bent up as well as some vibrato. The riff is influenced by Blues, however Jimi puts his own psychedelic twist on it by using distortion. There are also noticeable Blues characteristics in the vocal shape and also in the repetition and short motifs used in the piece. The main motif or theme is repeated throughout the piece

 

 

The Blues influences in “Uncle Pen” are seen in the chord progression I, V, I, IV, I, as well as in the style that the instruments are played in. The mandolin is played very choppy as opposed to the fiddle which is played with fluidity. The up-beat is also accented which is also a characteristic of Jazz.

In “Uncle Pen” the time signature is 4/4 however there is a noticeable slight speeding up and slowing down in the piece. The introduction is played rather quickly and that theme is played that same tempo throughout the song; when the vocals come in the tempo slows and again, each time after the main theme is played the tempo slows slightly.

The main place in “Purple Haze” where a changing rhythm is seen is during the solo. During the solo the bass keeps a steady beat while the drums move from a syncopated rhythm to a fast and even pulse-type rhythm, all of this is going on while Jimi is playing a solo with many different rhythms itself. 

The solo is really the only place throughout the piece in which there is a change in tempo or rhythm.

There is a solo in “Uncle Pen” played by the mandolin. The solo is a variation of the main theme of the piece and is most likely used to show off the skills of the musician rather than any other purpose.

In “Purple Haze” however, the solo is supposed to contribute to the feel of an acid trip. This is why different rhythms, tempos, and effects are used. The solo in this piece is improvised, it is played from what the musician feels, whereas the mandolin solo in “Uncle Pen” is not improvised. 

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     Hendrix." Popular Music 9.1 (1990): 37-60. JSTOR. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
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Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society
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