How can you get a Country and Western sound with just a guitar and vocal?

Question

A glimmer of a song idea I have feels like it might fit a C&W style. But I have no idea how that would be achieved and I'm not really a big C&W fan. Is it a musical thing with the instruments, or a vocal melody thing, or both? I'd be writing/playing just me and an acoustic guitar so no vocal harmonies, cow-bells, etc - just chords and a vocal.

Answer 1

A lot of it has to do with vocal melody and chord progression, but also how the singer is delivering the song. You can look at the chords to Country & Western greats' songs and see what the usual progressions are. BUT if you don't sing it with the style and intonation of a country and western singer then all is lost.