The origins of country music can be traced back to the 1920s, when it emerged as a distinct musical genre from traditional folk music. Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with simple forms, folk lyrics, and harmonies mostly accompanied by string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, steel guitars (such as pedal steels and dobros), and fiddles as well as harmonicas. While there are exceptions, country music's lyrics tend to be about topics such as love, loss, heartbreak, nature, patriotism, and faith.
