The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues. Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became the vocal narrative style that we associate with blues music today.
The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues. Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became the vocal narrative style that we associate with blues music today.
By the 1920’s it had developed a very particular style, based around a number of three-line rhymed stanzas. These stanzas contained one line of verse that was repeated, and finished with a final line of rhyming verse. As industry progressed and developed in to the 1920’s, so did the everyday lives of the people it affected, and by this time Blues music was also developing.
The style also included a repeating blues chord progression, which was the basis of the harmony. The text was set to a 12-bar chorus, and typically was between four and eight stanzas in length. The usual rule of thumb was a 12-bar pattern utilizing the 3 major chords of a scale.
The melody is formed, typically, by flattened third, fifth and seventh notes of the major scale. This then forms the ‘bent’ notes that give Blues music its distinctive sound – enforcing the notes to have that bittersweet emotional impact that so many of us love. For the majority of blues music the focus is on the vocals – contradicting the fact that performers will often improvise instrumental solos over the Blues chord progressions.
Country Blues
Often referred to as ‘Delta Blues’ (in tribute to the Mississippi Delta were they first originated), country blues arose from the Southern rural experience, particularly influenced by the impact of emancipation. Many itinerant musicians (the majority of which were men), travelled from one community to the next, singing songs that focused on love, freedom, sex and the general sorrows of life.
Classic Blues
Over time, African Americans began to migrate in search of work. They began to populate areas such as Memphis and New Orleans, and they brought their own brand of music with them. As their way of life evolved, so did the music. It began to feature male or female vocalist accompanied by either a single piano, or a full jazz-style combo. As these people settled in these new areas, Blues music became much more urban-orientated.
The music industry as a whole started to take note, and more and more compositions and marketing arrangements emerged, as people began to take notice. The popularity of this kind of music grew exponentially. In actual fact, what would become known as Classic Blues became so popular that many songs were released with the word ‘blues’ in the title to capitalize on this, even though they bared little or no relation to the style of music. The audience also grew, and Blues became more mainstream. Throughout the country as a whole, Blues music could now be heard in dancehalls and barrooms.
Electric Blues
The appetite for the style of music known as the Blues was quite voracious. Its center, previously clustered around Memphis and New Orleans, began to migrate, and soon cities such as Chicago became the central point of much of the music.
The end of the Second World War brought a new revival into the genre, and artists began to develop the music, primarily through adding a bit of extra emphasis on the bass drums and cranking up the guitar sounds. By the 1950’s this style was no longer centered around the African American community, and was universally practiced across all races. Artists like Elvis and Bill Haley began to incorporate the Blues methods into their own unique brand of rock n roll.
Although this incorporation into different genres still exists today, Blues music in its own right is still going strong, with top-selling artists still maintaining the original styles. Blues music is still evolving, and still producing exceptional music that stirs the soul of those who listen to it, and its influence on much of the music industry is undisputed.
Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)
