The surprising link between Scotland and country music
We would not have modern country music without the music brought to Appalachia without the music of Scottish immigrants.
Is that a bold claim?
Perhaps. After all, it is difficult to compare a song like "Dirt on My Boots" by Jon Pardi to a traditional Appalachian ballad like "Pretty Polly," particularly this version.
To understand the link between Scottish music and country music, you first need to understand the different subgenres within country music. According to Brian Clark in an article on MusicianWave, there are at least 15 sub-genres of country music, and others suggest that the number could be 50 or higher.
The difference in those genres can be quite stark, so the comparison between Jon Pardi, a musician that falls more in the Texas country music scene, and a traditional Appalachian ballad. For a more fair comparison, try "Hardwood Floors" by Charles Wesley Godwin, along with a more modern recording of "Pretty Polly."
Clearly, the Appalachian folk sound is very much alive and well. In fact, arguably the second biggest country artist in the world right now, Zach Bryan, performs music that is rich with the distinct Appalachian sound. Take "Sun to Me," by example.
Bryan has made massive strides in moving independent country music into the mainstream light, bringing with it the Appalachian sound and making it extremely popular. So much so that the two artists who have risen with him, Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, are both natives of Appalachia, hailing from Kentucky.
The heritage of this sound unquestionably comes from Scotland. I will explore the musical origins later on in this blog, but it is important to note that there are explicit references to Scotland and Ireland. Chris Stapleton, famous for songs like "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Broken Halos," has music that explicitly discusses his heritage. In his song "Scarecrow in the Garden," for example, mentions immigrants from Northern Ireland- an area that was populated by Scots at the end of the Middle Ages.
It would be easy to point to the resurgence of Appalachian folk music as all the proof necessary that Scottish heritage does in fact play a role in the formation of country music. However, I argue that Scottish heritage permeates all of the subgenres of country music, even those that have left Appalachia far behind.
Why, you might ask?
It all comes back to the instruments. The two most traditional and instruments of country music, the guitar and fiddle, all have roots from Scotland and were almost certainly introduced to the American musical scene through Appalachia.
The style of guitar that was popularized in Appalachia is directly descended from the Scottish lute, an instrument popularized in Scotland in the 13th century. Much of the style of picking and song composition for guitars that became the norm for bluegrass, folk, and early country music descends directly from the way that the lute and later the guitar were played in Scotland.The guitar, of course, exploded in popularity in America, and is likely one of, if not the most, played instruments in America.
Likewise, the fiddle is an instrument that is integral to the Scottish music tradition. The fiddle, however, is a more recent addition to Scottish music: it was brought to the country in the 17th century and quickly became a central instrument in the country's music. A few centuries later, it was brought to America, where it became one of the most iconic sounds in American music, especially country music. (Without it, we wouldn't have iconic songs like "The Devil Went Down to Georgia.")
Before I close, I want to touch on one instrument that is extremely iconic to Scotland but less so in America: the bagpipes. Of course, mainstream country music is not exactly brimming with examples of songs with bagpipes. The most famous example is "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earl, a song that is iconic in Appalachia and the South. The Zac Brown Band has some songs that feature the bagpipes, as do a handful of smaller, lesser-known country music groups. While all of these are great examples, my personal favorite is a performance of "Amazing Grace" by Glenn Campbell on the bagpipes. I will leave you with Glenn. Take a listen:
