What does blues music represent

Below are several aspects, qualities, and interpretations that help explain and analyze the broad concept of blues music. The musical form the way a piece of music is organized of the blues tends to be relatively simple. Probably the most common form is the Bar blues , which only uses three chords I, IV, and V and repeats after each twelve bars or measures. Lyrical form in the blues is also straightforward; it is usually AAB form.

For each verse, a line of lyrics is sung every four bars. Below is an example of a blues verse in AAB form taken from B.

The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away A line, measures The thrill is gone baby, the thrill is gone away A line, measures It is important to note that although the bar chord progression and the AAB lyric form tend to be the most widely used, there are other forms of the blues. Because blues music evolved throughout the 20th century, its characteristics are dynamic and dependent on the specific type, phase, or sub-genre of the blues that is considered.

However, several common characteristics can be identified. Guitar and vocals are the instruments most frequently heard in blues music. Other instruments commonly heard are piano, harmonica, drums, and bass.

Early on, not only were the lyrics of the blues improvised, but the instruments as well. Due to lack of accessibility and money, blues artists often had to make their own instruments.

This would give rise to the one-stringed diddley bow , which was played with a bottle neck; the percussive washboard , which was played rhythmically with thimbles; an incredibly basic wind instrument the jug ; the spoons; and the washtub bass. Click the links to see and hear those resourceful and cool instruments!

Many of the characteristics found in the blues can be attributed to the influence of African music and culture. As mentioned above the blues is a genre and a form, but it is also a feeling.

Although there are happy and uplifting blues songs, blues music is focused around harsh realities of life. Love is also a central subject—love and loss, being mistreated, and romance gone wrong are frequently sung about. The presentation of the subject matter is expressive, honest, and straightforward.

Since the blues is expressing pain, the performer s should have and understanding of and be able to communicate that pain. The language used in that communication is simple and down to earth. Lyrics are accessible and tend to avoid embellishment, convolution, picturesque descriptions, or grandiose settings. Not every blues artist has had a rough upbringing, struggled with poverty, had to do grueling labor, or had their heart broken the way they describe in their music.

However, what good blues musicians are honest and truthful about is the feeling of having the blues. Blues music began in the southern United States in the late 19th century, most notably along the Mississippi delta. It was developed by African-Americans who blended European music with African music. The combination of those cultures and sub-cultures created what would become the blues.

Early precursors that paved the way for blues music include work songs , field hollers , spirituals , folk ballads, and minstrels. Delta blues is a term for early blues that refers to a specific geographic location, the Mississippi Delta. Typically, delta blues was performed with only one vocal part and one guitar sometimes the piano ; often the musician would perform alone by singing and playing at the same time. It was played in rural, informal settings—like a porch or a bar—and was not widely distributed through media.

Lyrics were centered around things seen in the country—fields, trains, manual labor, etc. Out of the relatively few recordings that are still in existence from this time, many were done in the field by researchers like Alan Lomax instead of commercial recording companies. Robert Johnson is one of the most famous American artists of all time.

He was a mysterious delta blues singer and guitar player who allegedly sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in order to play guitar better. Very little is known about Johnson, who died in at age 27, so his music and persona have developed a legendary mysticism in American folklore.

During the same time, blues music existed in the northern U. The ensembles resembled early jazz instrumentation, the locations were in cities, and some artists experienced commercial success. Northern blues music contained characteristics derived from African music, but overall sounded much more refined and European when compared with delta blues. Watch Handy perform that song on the Ed Sullivan show in Out of these early types of blues music, the delta blues would be the one with a more lasting impact.

The first major development of the blues came in the middle of the 20th century. Urban blues is the term used to describe blues during that time, which resulted from several changes. Secondly, by the mid-twentieth century, technology had changed the musical landscape. Electric instruments, vocal amplification, improved recording techniques, record players, and radio revolutionized the way people created and experienced all music, including the blues.

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