Defining Blues Music
What kind of tone does Blues have?
Sombre and melancholic
When did Blues music begin?
The 1860s
Who wrote one of the earliest Blues works ever published?
W. C. Handy
What did Blues music allow African-American people to express?
How they felt in American society
What pattern is Blues music known for?
Call-and-response
What genres did Blues music influence?
Rock, pop and jazz
Who started Blues music and where?
African-American people living in the Deep South of the United States
What was the name of one of the earliest Blues works published?
Memphis Blues
What made society difficult for African-American people in the early 20th century?
Inequality, racism and severe oppression
What is call-and-response?
The singer would sing a line (call) and the instruments/vocalists would respond.
What did Blues artists write their music about?
Blues artists wrote about their feelings instead of telling a story
Why is it important we know WHO started Blues music?
What year was one of the earliest Blues works published in?
1912
What caused Blues music to change during the World Wars & Great Depression?
African-Americans living in the Deep South moved to cities in the North of America
What is syncopation?
Playing on the off-beats
What feelings were Blues musicians trying to express?
Love, hard times and oppression
What instruments did early Blues mainly consist of?
Acoustic guitar and vocals
Who was the first African-American singer to record music?
Mamie Smith
How did the environment impact Blues music?
The Blues became more sophisticated and adapted to an urban environment
What are polyrhythms?
Multiple rhythms played at once
How does Blues music achieve its distinct tone?
Various instrumental and vocal techniques
What was early Blues influenced by?
African folk music, such as the use of percussion, syncopation, call and response, polyrhythms and collaboration.
What did the first African-American singer to record music record a rendition of?
Perry Bradford's 'Crazy Blues'
How did an urban environment impact Blues music?
Lyrical content changed, blues ensembles developed and forms changed.
What is a key feature of Blues music that involves musicians making up music as they play?
Improvisation