Birth of the Blues
Originality of Birth of the Blues
The Blues originated in the southern United States around the turn of the 20th century (1880s - 1920s
Characteristics of East Coast Blues
Influenced by Ragtime so the guitar accompaniments are intricate and involve heavy fingerpicking
Texas Blues Feature
Lyrics lean less-heavily on heartbreak and hard times.
Delta Blues Features
Rhythmic guitar patterns, often using a slide
Chicago Blues And The Great immigration
Between 1920 an 1970, over 6 million African Americans left the South to move to the more industrial cities of the north, including Chicago
How Birth of the Blues was born
The blues was born from the work songs and yells of black farm workers, miners, and lumbermen in the South.
Notable East Coast Blues Singers
Willie Walker, Rev. "Blind" Gary Davis, "Blind Boy" Fuller, Bobby "Blue" Bland
How Texas Blues Developed
Developed as rural workers began moving to the urban centers of Texas, such as Dallas, Galveston, San Antonio, and Houston.
How Delta Blues developed
The Delta Blues developed primarily at Dockery Farms, a 25,000 acre plantation where employees both worked and lived.
How Chicago Blues Developed
In Chicago, a more electric form of the blues developed, including microphones and electric guitars so musicians could be heard over the noise of loud Chicago clubs.
What were the lyrics of Birth of the blues?
The lyrics were often sorrowful and melancholy, centered on heartbreak or hard times.