| I grew up with four older brothers, so it was only | | | | electric. |
| natural for me to develop a taste for good | | | | After the mid-1950's, a string bass or electric bass |
| old-fashioned rock and roll from a very young age. | | | | guitar was introduced and became one of the key |
| While my friends and peers were still swooning over | | | | factors in a typical rock band. A full drum set was also |
| the latest boy bands, I was rocking to the great | | | | added to diversify and intensify the sound. You may |
| sounds of the 1970's and '80's. It wasn't until high school | | | | be surprised to learn that the earliest forms of rock |
| that everyone else caught up. | | | | also included either the saxophone or the piano (or |
| However, I can honestly say that it took me a long | | | | sometimes both), pointing to blues and jazz ties |
| time to appreciate the roots of this genre of music that | | | | mentioned earlier. |
| has transformed the entire world. A form of rock and | | | | Again, there is a contemporary movement within rock |
| roll exists in almost every culture across the globe. | | | | and roll to reintroduce the piano to replace the sound |
| The term rock and roll as we use it today was coined | | | | of the keyboard, but the great diversity that now |
| by Alan Freed, a DJ from Cleveland, in 1951--so as far | | | | exists across cultures and the evolution of rock has |
| as music goes, it is still a fairly young genre, though the | | | | allowed for splintered genres which are geared |
| style began as early as the '40's, after World War II. | | | | toward these variations of sound. |
| It evolved out of blues, which developed previously out | | | | Of course, because of the newness and the |
| of rhythm and blues. There are also heavy influences | | | | perceived "loudness," of emerging rock and roll, it was |
| from country, rockabilly, jazz, and even gospel music. | | | | generally absorbed by youth, which, in turn, led artists |
| Initially, rock music was distinguished by the | | | | to continue to direct their music at the young. It was |
| incorporation of one or two electric guitars, though | | | | also meant to override racial boundaries, as many disc |
| today, the necessity for an electric guitar in a rock | | | | jockeys proclaimed it as a new kind of music that |
| band seems to have vanished. | | | | would appeal to both black and white. |
| In fact, there is even a movement within groups of | | | | I can certainly see their point. As my friends have |
| self-proclaimed "rock stars," to increase the use of | | | | taken years to "awake," to the great music that is out |
| both acoustic and classical guitars. For convenience | | | | there (besides just the contemporary artists), I have |
| sake, artists with a diversified sound tend to use a sort | | | | welcomed each of them into the fold of rock and roll. |
| of "crossbreed," guitar simply dubbed the acoustic | | | | |