Year 9

1. Starter Activity
Background to the Blues
• What is a worksong?
• What is a Spiritual?
• Who would have sung these?

2. Spirituals
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Thz1zDAytzU

3. Lesson Objectives:
• Today you will develop your....
• Knowledge of Early Blues
• Skills by developing your playing of chords on
the keyboards and starting to play a bass line
in your left hand
• Understanding of how the chord pattern links
to actual Blues songs

4. Listening activity
Listen to the Early Blues song and answer the
questions on the worksheet

5. Practical activity
• Put the chords of C, F and G major together to
create the 12 Bar Blues chord pattern – using
the correct fingers of your right hand
• When the right hand is secure (confident)
start to work on the bass line in the left hand

6. 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression
Remember:
C = C E G =1,3,5
F = F A C = 1,3,5
G = G B D – 1,3,5
C C C C
F F C C
G F C C

7. Bass Line – in the left hand
C
5 – little
finger LH
C
5
C
5
C
5
F
2 – pointy
finger LH
F
2
C
5
C
5
G
1 – thumb LH
F
2
C
5
C
5

8. Key words
• Chord
• Worksong
• Spiritual
• Call and response
• Unison
• Harmony
• Bass line