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themselves. The banjo and harmonica were originally introduced by African-American settlers or slaves in the Appalachia area, while white settlers from Europe brought or created instruments familiar to their home countries. It wasn’t until the 1930s that drums began to accompany country and western songs. Brass horns and woodwind instruments were for “city folk,” and didn’t find their way into the country music scene for quite a few years. Even today, it is rare that you find horns other than an occasional saxophone being used. Pianos started appearing in the 1940s and 1950s. Where Country Music Started

The Appalachian Mountains have always been home to a wide variety of immigrants. The original white immigrants to the area came from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. They didn’t bring much with them, but they brought their music.

Black slaves in the Caribbean created the banjo in the seventeenth century, and their descendants brought the instrument to America. They could easily be made from gourds or other materials, and used to play simple melodies.

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Chapter 1: Origins of Country Music