Table of Contents
What is the most common from the blues?
twelve-bar blues
The most common form of blues is the twelve-bar blues, which includes 3 lines with 4 chords.
What do all blues songs have in common?
The elements of music in the blues
- it was common to include bent notes – usually the flattened third, fifth or seventh note of the scale.
- the performer often improvises over a chord progression.
- melismas are heard in many blues vocal melodies.
What subjects did early blues music cover?
Early blues frequently took the form of a loose narrative, often relating the racial discrimination and other challenges experienced by African-Americans. Many elements, such as the call-and-response format and the use of blue notes, can be traced back to the music of Africa.
When did blues become popular?
The earliest references to blues date back to the 1890s and early 1900s. In 1912 Black bandleader W.C. Handy’s composition “Memphis Blues” was published. It became very popular, and thereafter many other Tin Pan Alley songs entitled blues began to appear.
Who is the best blues band?
5 Best Blues Rock Bands
- Muddy Waters. It pretty much says it all that Muddy Waters is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, who has also been inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall Of Fame.
- B. B. King.
- Butterfield Blues Band.
- Cream.
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
What are the most common blues chords?
E major is the most common blues key on guitar, so you could think of E7 as the 1 chord, A7 as the 4 chord and B7 as the 5 chord.
What are some characteristics of the blues music?
Although instrumental accompaniment is almost universal in the blues, the blues is essentially a vocal form. Blues songs are lyrical rather than narrative; blues singers are expressing feelings rather than telling stories. The emotion expressed is generally one of sadness or melancholy, often due to problems in love.
What are the themes of the general Blues?
General Blues. Throughout the development of the blues, themes remained similar and dealt with current hardships and struggles of the time period, region or personal situations. Commonly heard are themes dealing with spiritual beliefs, discrimination, injustice, relationships, violence and family.
When did the Blues come into the mainstream?
It came into mainstream popularity in the 1920s when it also developed its common AAB lyric pattern. Blues songs were centred around the pain of loss and injustice but also expressed the victory in outlasting these painful experiences.
How did the blues music get its name?
Try BBC Music Magazine today and save 30% when you do! What is blues music and why is it called blues music? Blues is both a musical form and a musical genre. Blues gets its name from its original association with melancholy subjects and sounds: when we have ‘the blues’, we’re feeling sad.