Country » Traditional Country » String Bands

With their intricate instrumental interplay and driving rhythms, String Bands were the most distinctive subgenre of old time country. Though all old-time artists supported themselves with stringed instruments, string bands were notable because they emphasized the instrumentation, not the singers. The popularity of string bands faded in the '30s after Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family became country's first stars, yet the groups provided the foundation for the harder sounds of bluegrass in the late '40s.