Important points about Blues Music!
- Originated from troubled African Americans during segregation and slavery. Lyrics are usually about trouble, or sadness over repeated chords and rhythms.
- Blues musicians could travel and play anywhere with or without anyone. Due to their journeys and traveling, Blues singers often sang about their reflections, telling stories of their hardships, a connection to Folk music and Country Blues.
- Blues music is characterized by use of guitar, single at first and later complemented by drums and bass.
- Songs are written in an AAB rhyme
- 12- Bar Blues Pattern consists of a chord pattern that can be applied to every key and song, giving the musician a layout to play and solo over.
- The word “Blues” is usually referred to a depression of some sort.
- It is often said that Blues is the opposite of Gospel: that the latter is the music of God, where the former is the music of the Devil. (See Robert Johnson video)
- Blues was a building block for Rock and Roll and soul music.
- Blues Artists: BB King, James Cotton, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Son House, Charley Patton etc…
- Instruments consist of: Rock band set up: (bass, drums, guitar, vocals), horns (trumpets, saxophones, etc), vocals (sometimes but not always), piano, harmonica, slide guitar
Some sites to reference…
