Country Music: Drumming Honky-Tonk

Honky-Tonk is the most familiar style in country music for many listeners. Driven by acousic guitars, fiddles, steel guitars, and high vocals. Honky-tonk has stayed relatively the same in style over the years.

The only notable change occurred with the evolution of the “Bakersfield Sound.” This style of honky-tonk featured the addition of telecaster guitars, and a change in singing style. The vocals became clean and ringing – different from the traditional Nashville sound. The Bakersfield sound became the most influential country style of the ‘60s.

Listening List:

Ernest Tubb – The first to popularize the genre

Carl Smith

1) Slow, swing the 8th notes. Non-resonating bass drum.

2) The most common beat for medium and fast tempos.

3) An example of a simple fill (to accompany the previous beat) to play every 16 bars or so. Bass drum and snare equal in volume.