The Blues Music

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Different from other forms of music, blues was only recorded by memory and passed down through generations through live performances. The blues began in the North Mississippi Delta post Civil War times. It was heavily influenced by African roots, field hollers, ballads, church music and rhythmic dance tunes called jump-ups. This eventually developed into music that was set up in a call-and- response way so that the singer would sing a line and he would then respond with his guitar. The blues, a uniquely American art form, was born on the dusty street corners of the Deep South in the late 1800s. An evolution of West African music brought to the United States by slaves, created the blues which was a way for black people in the south to express their hardships, heartbreaks, religion, passion, and politics that they experienced in their day-to-day lives. The majority of blues songs were never written down, let alone recorded, but instead, were passed on from one musician to another and played on a variety of instruments including a number of stringed instruments, harmonicas, and horns. Once blues songs began to be officially recorded in the 1920s, the most frequently found instruments were guitars and pianos. However, the basic 12-bar style and three.-chord progression have remained the same throughout the years and continue to be key components of the blues. Typical elements of the blue include rhythmic, lyrical, instrumental, and structural aspects. Within the blues, drums are not solely used to keep the beat, but also to help maintain a feeling of tension throughout the song by placing a certain emphasis on the off-beat. This is commonly seen in a blues rhythm called the shuffle beat, which works by using the “pre” beat be... ... middle of paper ... ...ow. The lyrics of the song are intended to be quite humorous and play around with old rural traditions as well as a masculine hoochie coochie man. Both B.B King and Muddy Waters have had a huge impact on the blues culture and will remembered as major contributors of not only the blues genre but of music in general. Works Cited • "B.B. King." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • "Muddy Waters." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • "The Thrill Is Gone." By B.B. King Songfacts. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • "AllMusic." AllMusic. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • Welna, David. "The Story Of 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man'" NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • "Hoochie Coochie Man Meaning." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. • "Musical Elements of Blues Music." EHow UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

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