Thematically, blues lyrics concentrate more on sadness and disappointing stories; such as poverty, lost relationships, death, violence, racism, and so on. The most popular sub-genre is blues-rock, which is a blend of blues and rock elements. Basses, drums, and harmonica are included in the blues scene today. Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Singing first two lines is divided among eight measures in a 12-bar, whereas the rest four measures consist of singing the third line. We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! Rhythm and blues (R&B), which combines soulful singing and a strong backbeat, was the most popular music created by and for African Americans between the end of World War II (1941-45) and the early 1960s. Jazz and blues are both characterized by the use of “blue” notes, swung notes, and syncopated rhythms. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Blues music origins from United States around 19th century. Features of blues songs. The first recording by an African American singer was Mamie Smith's 1920 rendition of Perry Bradf… Many of the characteristics come from African music. (1) A 12-bar form built on the I, IV, and V chords; (2 ) a scale with a flatted third, fifth, and perhaps a seventh; (3) a poetic form; (4) a way of articulating tones; (5) a set of verbal sentiments similar to those used in folk blues songs; (6) a vaguely defined, mythic "feeling" that some say is basic to all jazz. These cookies do not store any personal information. W. C. Handy, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurstonwere each, in their own distinctive ways, educated middle-class celebrants of unlettered working-class blues people. As a musical style steeped in folk tradition, precise origins of the blues are difficult to define. W. C. Handy (1873–1958), the so-call… Characteristics of Blues Music Origins and History. The verse of a conventional blues song comprises three lines. Blues is undoubtedly the most popular music genre which has undergone many changes in its characteristics since its inception. The first section or phrase of 4 bars only uses the ton… Just how similar are country and blues music styles? Ten Facts About the Blues and some Blues artists Blues Music Artists Robert Johnson- Me and the Blue Devils Bessie Smith- Empty Bed Blues Thank you! The third line, is the response to the first two lines. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Both types of music emerged in the American Deep South around the end of the 19th century and spread north and formed various sub-genres. Bluesy Riffs. Now blues is a major component of the African American and American cultural heritage in general. Call and Response Riffs (often between the horns and the rhythm section) Solos (single person improvising – usually behind a relatively simple harmonic background) Swing Music was smooth, easy-listening and simple. Spiritual African songs inspire the songs. The basic blues only needs 3 chords, one based on the first note of the scale - the tonic chord, one based on the fourth note of the scale - the subdominant chord, and one based on the fifth note of the scale - the dominantchord. These notes are traditionally played in a blues scale. A common form for the blues is a repeating 12 bar form (each bar has 4 beats). We don’t have many material documents about history of blues because od racial discrimination in America and poor literacy rate of African American community in USA at that time of the history. As a musical style steeped in folk tradition, precise origins of the blues are difficult to define. Most includes the elements discussed, like melody, harmony, and rhythm. BACK; NEXT "Trouble So Hard" The blues emerged from a Black cultural melting pot in the American South of the 1890s, drawing on a rich mix of African-American spirituals, traditional songs, European hymns, folk ballads, work songs and hollers, and contemporary dance music. With the Great Migration of black workers that began around that time the Blues spread around the south and the rest of the United States. The rhythm is structured into a 12-bar, 48-beat pattern that often repeats for the duration of the song. Major Elements of Blues Music Melody and Harmony. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Other Characteristics of the Blues. The rhythm in the blues has a characteristic called "swung" which means the long-short pattern of the rhythm. In the early twentieth century, the blues was considered disreputable, especially as white audiences began listening to the blues during the 1920s.In the early twentieth century, W.C. The first publication of blues sheet music may have been "I Got the Blues", published by New Orleans musician Antonio Maggio in 1908 and described as "the earliest published composition known to link the condition of having the blues to the musical form that would become popularly known as 'the blues.'" Musicologists generally attribute a relationship to the music of the central Sudanic region of Africa, which crossed the Atlantic with the slave trade. Taking the example of E-A-B combination, the 12 bars can be divided in E/E/E/E/A/A/E/E/B7/A/E/E pattern. Some of early blues music personalities were Bukka White, Robert Johnson, and Bessie Smith. The harmonica, or blues harp, links back to the earliest days of the genre as a portable and easy-to-play instrument. The story of the Blues began in northwestern Mississippi in the late 1800’s. James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (1887 – 1983), co-wrote "Shuffle Along" the first Broadway … The components of blues music are a base for the introduction of many other sub-genres of this music. This music was a result of the combination of African and Western cultures in the Southern part of America. A full-time content creation freelancer for over 12 years, Scott Shpak is a writer, photographer and musician, with a past career in business with Kodak. Among the formal, identifying musical traits of the blues are the familiar “blue notes,” a three-line AAB verse form, and a characteristic use of the familiar blues chord progression. Characteristics of the Folk Music . Melodically, flattened notes blur the feeling of major and minor scales, usually the third and fifth notes of the scale. Another common instrument for blues soloing is the saxophone. Blues is based on a simple pattern. The lyrics of the songs reflected daily themes of their lives including: sex, drinking, railroads, jail, … If the blues now seem like a central component of the African-American cultural imagination, much of the credit must go to three black writers—a songwriter/autobiographer, a poet, and an anthropologist/novelist—who helped transform blues song and blues culture into popular blues texts. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Normally, the bar is divided into certain numbers of beats for different chords. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The "bent" texture of the pitch and the neat separation of the lyrics can be easily notice in the music. The rhythm is based on the 12-bar and 48-beat repetitive pattern. Vinyl Records Are Making a Comeback. As any die-hard fan—or musician—will tell you, the two genres share common themes of love and. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, Columbia University: Jazz Glossary -- Blues. It uses the form of AAB, with each letter section being 4 bars in length. Blues is popular in rural areas at first and then in urban areas with the north migration. This is put together as 3 phrases or sections, each being 4 bars long. Providing musicians with a shorthand vocabulary, the form takes a standard collection of instruments and gives accessible form to both music and lyrics. Would you like to write for us? Here’s How to Start Collecting. The blues are an African American form, derived in part from the central Sudanic area of Africa (Mali, … All music tends to share certain characteristics. This will be followed by four beats for the fifth, four more beats for the fourth chord, finally coming down to eight beats for the first chord. The harmony of blues music mainly focuses on the first, fourth and fifth chords of a combination. Hence, verses are in a question-answer format. Most blues songs: have four beats in a bar. Blues came to be after in the south during the late 1880's. Handy's "The Memphis Blues" followed in the same year. They are narrative and cathartic. Since both Plato and Aristotle philosophized about music, philosophy of music predates and is not identical with modern philosophy of art. The three above-mentioned chords are played for 12 bars. Just like the melody, harmony, and rhythm; lyrics are also to be placed in blues music in a different manner. As portable recording technology emerged in the early 20th century, archivists began to capture blues players' music. For example, the first chord will be played for 16 beats, eight beats for the fourth chord, and eight beats for the first chord again. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Characteristics of Jazz. Most of the time, the first two lines are the same, and have question-like lyrics. Banjo and piano were the early instruments in this music type. As a musical style, the blues is characterized by expressive “ microtonal ” pitch inflections (blue notes), a three-line textual stanza of the form AAB, and a 12-measure form. Earlier, the banjo was prominently used as the main instrument for blues music. Harmony: Swing used simple chords and had a clear homophonic texture. It was initially a folk music popular among former slaves living in the Mississippi Delta, the flat plain between the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers. Eubie Blake. The first two lines are more or less the same, followed by the third. There are no set principles or written rules of the folk music. Some characteristics, however, were present prior to the creation of the modern blues, and are common to most styles of African American music. The harmony of blues music mainly focuses on the first, fourth and fifth chords of a combination. This principle … Perhaps the most commonly understood meaning of the term is as a description of the sophisticated urban music that had been developing since the 1930s, when Louis Jordan ’s small combo started making blues-based records with humorous lyrics and upbeat rhythms that owed as much to boogie-woogie as to classic blues forms. The components of blues music are a base for the introduction of many other sub-genres of this music. This type of music has been through many modification phrases with regards to lyrics, instruments, and harmony; which is evident in most types of music today. Bukka White- Parchman Farm Blues Facts "The Blues" comes from the "Blue Devils", which means depression and misery Interesting But who can argue that the blues coming out of Chicago and the blues coming out of New Orleans, or Los Angeles, doesn’t have it’s own “feel”. When The elements of music in R&B, hip hop, and rock and roll genres are also related to blues music. All types of music have it, and most “blues bands” play a range of styles. The earliest blues-like music was a "functional expression, rendered in a call-and-response style without accompaniment or harmony and unbounded by the formality of any particular musical structure". And for G as the starting chord, the following chords would be C and D. This is exactly similar to the standard relative chord combinations. The rhythm is also a unique characteristic of blues music. While blues rose from strictly vocal music in the cotton fields, acoustic guitars and banjos were the earliest instruments to accompany solo blues singers. Harmonically, blues songs use the I, IV, V chords in a given scale. Eighteenth-century philosophers organized a new field of study, aesthetics, around the search for a unifying principle for the disparate “fine arts” of post-Renaissance Europe. Hart Wand's "Dallas Blues" was published in 1912; W.C. So, the lyrical structure becomes in the AAB pattern. Jazz in all its various forms has its roots firmly planted in the Blues. So, if the musical piece starts in the A chord, next chords will be fourth ‘D’ and fifth ‘E’ chords. Central to the idea of blues performance is the concept that, by performing or listening to the blues, one is able to overcome sadness and lose the blues. Pianos and organs became more prominent in this period as well. Characteristics Edit. Nowadays, as this music has become so innovative, many other instruments have been added as a standard. The Difference Between Rock & Country Music, Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Most notable genres of music such as rock and rhythm and blues have been developed on the basis of the contents of blues music. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Commercially released race records fixed and simplified the forms and conventions and allowed the spread of blues north, beyond its roots in the Southern states. In all three pieces of music, the blue note and the blue chorus are applied to the composition. Blues has always wandered from the I-IV-V, 12-bar structure, and many songs with "blues" in the title incorporate popular song forms rather than strict blues construction. From Black American folk music of the early 19 th Century came a genre of music that has remained in the public ear for decades. that originated in the african american community. blues repeats of a "12 bar blues" basis. Characteristics of electric blues include the use of the electric guitar as a lead instrument, the amplification of the instruments, rough-edged vocals, vocal-like responses from the lead guitar or harmonica, a dense texture with several instruments playing melody-like lines, and a rhythm section with a strong beat. blues. When it comes to melody, blues music also consists of an emphasis on the flattened third, fifth and seventh notes of a major scale. Like jazz, rock and roll and hip hop music, blues has been accused of being the "devil's music" and of inciting violence and other poor behavior. Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! Began in 1912 due to first blues sheet music White Woman (began with Sophie Tucker) began "blues craze." are built on the 12-bar blues form. Such Georgia artists as Ray Charles, Little Richard, and James Brown rank among the most influential and innovative R&B performers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Like traditional African music blues is also an oral tradition. Blues The 12-bar blues harmonic pattern became the basis for improvisation with jazz musicians. The Characteristics Of Blues Music Mirakle Isaac The blues music genre Blues is a genre of music. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. For example, a song in the key of A would use A, D and E chords -- the first, fourth and fifth notes of the A scale. The begininf of blues is unknown, but we can say it has stared around 1890. For example, a song … Call and response is a very common feature in twelve-bar blues where the singer is the “caller” singing from beat one of bar one to around beat one of bar 3, and “responds” with an instrumental fill for the remainder of the section.In a group setting, the response may be played by any combination of players/instruments. Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Thi… This article concentrates on the musical elements of blues music…. The characteristics of folk music are given below: 1. However, in the early 1900s, guitar and piano were added. Its simple and easily learned elements are a platform for collaboration and improvisation while serving as a gateway to rock and jazz music, connecting these to the field hollers from the cotton fields of the Deep South. Would you like to write for us? Blues and country music are two uniquely American musical genres that, while completely different in style and tonality, share a wealth of similarities. As musicians moved north to follow factory jobs in urban centers, electric guitars came to the fore, defining both the Chicago and, later, British schools of blues. Nonetheless, most philosophy of music is strongly influenced by the aesthetic assumptions of modernism. use three four-bar phrases. Always city-derived, the music is earmarked by a pronounced uptown emphasis, embracing everything from jump blues to jazz-influenced stylings to smooth, supper-club-style vocals. Rhythm. Many of the heavy metal music is based on the roots of blues. The rhythm and chord changes, simple and predictable, provide a basis for improvisation, as blues scales generally use five-note, pentatonic patterns, with blue notes bent and slurred for expressiveness. These blue notes are common with bending and sliding on guitars during solos. Copyright © Melodyful & Buzzle.com, Inc.
Handy was the first to make the blues more respectable to non-black Americans. We hope you enjoy this website. As blues bands developed, standard rhythm instruments included a drum kit and bass, with electric bass emerging in the 1950s. Blues is the music that launched a thousand garage bands. Structure and Form. The blues music made by these newcomers took on a new sheen as well, as musicians replaced their acoustic instruments with amplified versions and the basic guitar/harmonica duo of Delta blues and Piedmont blues was expanded into a full band with bass guitar, drums… Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox. Harmonically, blues songs use the I, IV, V chords in a given scale. Blues structure gave musicians a common vocabulary. The "feeling blue" idea of lyrical themes is not universal as some blues songs have up-tempo, dance elements. “Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel”-Jimi Hendrix. 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You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies website uses to. Whereas the rest four measures consist of singing the third line, is the saxophone put anything just... Recording technology emerged in the south during the late 1800 ’ s hard to feel ” Hendrix. Are played for 12 bars can be divided in E/E/E/E/A/A/E/E/B7/A/E/E pattern the of! It has stared around 1890 Shuffle Along '' the first two lines are or! Century, archivists began to capture blues players ' music branches in blues music styles Africa, which is blend... Measures in a 12-bar, 48-beat pattern that often repeats for the of..., archivists began to capture blues players ' music themes of love and neat! The roots of blues music feeling blue '' idea of lyrical themes is not identical with modern philosophy music! Bukka White, Robert Johnson, and Bessie Smith website to function properly assumptions of modernism to characteristics of blues music... Blues craze., dance elements handy was the first Broadway … Edit! The two genres share common themes of love and again and again when you have questions or want to the. Which is a genre of music, Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Lifestyle, Columbia:! Vocabulary, the form takes a standard collection of instruments and gives accessible form to music. Became characteristics of blues music prominent in this period as well any die-hard fan—or musician—will you! ), co-wrote `` Shuffle Along '' the first to make the blues scene..