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Steve Miller Band breaks loose.

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Acoustic bands are becoming popular once again, the amplified, electric bands are great for large venues, but for small club venues acoustic seems to be the way to go. Many bands do both acoustic and electric but it takes greater skill to promote and succeed as an acoustic band. The musically in the acoustic genre is so distinct and every little mistake is so noticeable that your music must be perfect to do well in this area of music. In acoustic music many instruments are used, even unconventional instruments. From acoustic guitars to drums, and mandolins to violins and flutes, the acoustic sound is funky and rich with muted tones not associated with the electric variety of music. There are many acoustic bands out there with their own followings and their own sounds.

A few of the popular acoustic band at this time are The Dog & Pony Show, 120 Whats, and BhuddaBoy are just a few. Dog & Pony Show is a acoustic band who does covers of 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s songs, with two of the group were originally part of the cover band Green Inside. The 120 Whats met in biology class in late 2007 and with a little persistence Eves convinced Jared that an acoustic band was the way to go. BhuddaBoy has a rich rock bluesy sound, whose major influences are Alan Holdsworth, John Martyn, Led Zeppelin, CSNY, and Budgie. All three bands lend a different sound, taste, and smell to the acoustic genre of music. Have a listen and decide for yourself, if you like acoustic it is worth the time to check out not only these bands but others of the hundreds available online.

Although no one knows exactly when and how it began, folk music has a long and rich history. Not easily defined due to the wide range of topics and genre, it is story-telling at its best. Many of the earliest known American folk songs came out of the intense human struggle resulting from slavery. While the stories often dealt with difficult topics, they were not without hope.

Woody Guthrie was one of the early pioneers of modern folk music. His songs were birthed through the struggles of the Great Depression and the drought of the Dust Bowl. Bluegrass became popular in the 1940s, and then folk music seemed to wain in popularity. However, in the 1960s, there was a resurgence of folk music with the growing popularity of hootenannies, or a gathering of local musicians to share their songs of love, war, and the struggle for civil rights.

One cannot mention American Folk Music without mentioning such artists as Woody Guthrie, The Bluegrass Boys, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. These artists continue to make an impact on this art form through today's folk musicians as a result of their tremendous influence.

Folk music is as strong as ever with musicians turning once again to telling stories of hope, struggle and love. The ever-changing folk music is evolving from Bluegrass to Newgrass, Country to Alt-Country and instead of hootenannies folk music finds its camaraderie in Open Mic Nights, Bluegrass Jams or Anti-Hoots. But no matter what names are used, as long as people struggle and there are stories to be told, folk music will thrive.

If you have never been to an open mic night you may want to check out Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, Georgia, The Sidewalk Cafe in New York, or possibly The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1931, the D-28 appeared on the scene and became the favorite guitar of country and bluegrass artists. The D-28 received notoriety because of the artists that have used it. Its rhythmic sound and bass make it a unique sounding guitar.

The letter-number system that names the guitars, is a system used by C.F. Martin Guitar Co. It helped the company to identify its different styles of guitar. The letters are used to indicate body size and shape. The number indicates the material that the guitar is made of.

The letter D is short for Dreadnought, the name of the largest British battleship. The D guitar has a square-like shape, being broad in the shoulders and wide at the waist. The number 28 tells us that the guitar is constructed from Brazilian rosewood on the back and sides, with a herringbone trim and a zipper style back.

Although there are other D style guitars out there, the D-28 is the favorite because of its unique sound. Performers in country and bluegrass like it's big booming rhythmic sound. It has a fat bass sound and can handle the upper ranges. Some of the artists that helped make the D-28 famous are Hank Williams, Hank Snow, George Jones and the "King," Elvis Presley.

The D-28 has had a few changes during the course of time. In 1934, 14 frets were added to the body neck. There has been a slight alteration to the internal bracing and the rosewood is now from East India rather than Brazil. The herringbone trim is gone, the neck is smaller and the position markers are now dots instead of snowflakes.

The D-28 has withstood the test of time. Still the favorite of acoustic guitars, the D-28 will be around for a long time.

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Most modern day music that we hear is so amplified and electronically altered that the true sound of the music get lost in the process. Music can be defined as sounds and tones organized by time. When speaking of music without amplification, it is generally called acoustic music. The origin of the meaning of acoustic derives from a Greek word meaning "able to be heard" in its entire frequency without limit. Amplification can be so overwhelming that the music is unable to be heard. There are many organizations that are dedicated to the promotion of acoustic music.

Being able to hear music is pleasing to the ear. A quartet made up of a soprano, an alto, a tenor and a bass singing together is a symbiotic relationship between voices. Being able to hear the other parts produces a blend of voices in perfect harmony. The same can be argued when speaking of instrumental ensembles. Listening to chamber ensembles consisting of non amplified instruments gives one a sense of partaking in an intimate performance.

When thinking of acoustic music, the instrument that most often comes to mind is the guitar. This instrument played by a skillful musician, offers a sound that cannot be matched by any other. Classical music played on an acoustic guitar produces breathtaking music. It is also an instrument favored by country, blues and folk musicians. Acoustic piano is an instrument that can be heard almost anywhere. Not only is the sound produced by the piano a soothing one, but the technical skill of the performer is evident.