2. LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Meaning and History of the Blues
• Musical charateristics
• 12 bar blues chord progression
• Recording technology through history
• Play a Blues
• Compose and perform a Blues
3. Watch BB King (1925-
2015)one of the most
famous blues guitarist of
all times
He made an advert for the
blue M&M
4. BLUES - MEANING
The expression “to feel/be blue”
means to feel sad, to be depressed
Let’s see why…
5. • The Blues originated in America in the early
part of the 20th century. Among the poor
African-American population in the Southern
States of the USA.
• Their ancestors were
brought there as
slaves that came
from Africa, from the
15th to the 18th
century.
6. • They were brought there on big ships in
inhumane conditions.
7. • They were brought there to work...
• Mainly in the
cotton plantations
• And construction
Also in
very,
very
poor
conditions
8. • The lived in slave’s huts…
…they had no rights and no property
And they were OWNED, bought and sold by
others!
• These are the main reasons why the Blues
expresses sadness
10. • What do you notice about the structure of the
lyrics?
– Hard times hard times how long are you going to stay?
– Hard times hard times how long are you going to stay?
– I’m here today, tomorrow I may be going away
(rhyme!)
– The first phrase is repeated
– This structure can also
be described as AAB
Verse 1
A
A
B
12. • Another very typical instrument is the blues
harp or harmonica:
13. • The groups they worked in were called
WORK GANGS
• When they were
working they sang
without accompaniment
using call-and-response
(like a sung dialogue)
• But why did they sing? When they sang
It helped them to
keep a working-
rhythm and keep
the mood up
14. • A part from the call and response,
a blues uses blue notes – notes in the scale
that give the melody a
sad character
• A blues is also recognised by the chords it
uses. A specific chord pattern that became the
basis of later rock and pop music.
15. MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS - SUMMARY
VOICE, (SLIDE)GUITAR, BLUES HARP
A A B
A “CONVERSATION” BETWEEN
TWO “VOICES” (OR INTRUMENTS)
NOTES IN THE SCALE THAT GIVE THE
MELODY A SAD CHARACTER
Lyric’s structure:
Instruments:
Call and Response:
Blue notes:
16. • A part from the call and response,
a blues uses blue notes – notes in the scale that
give the melody a
sad character
• A blues is also recognised by the chords it uses. A
specific chord pattern that became the basis of
later rock and pop music.
• Let’s have a look at it...
17. • The name indicates that it is ...... bars long
• It also indicates that we have …… chords
• These chords are used as accompaniment to
the Blues
19. We’ve got the blu
Verse 1
Goodbye now
Football Blues
23. • Write the notes from each chord in your book.
• The chord name tells you what note to start on
• Remember the structure Satie’s chords had?
– Line, line, line or Space, space, space
Is this note ‘c’?
No, it’s ‘d’. We have to add a ledger line
24. 12 BAR BLUES CHORD PROGRESSION - SUMMARY
Number of bars
Use
Structure
Chords
How many bars does it have
What is it used for?
Does it have any specific
structure? How is it?
What is a chord?
How many different chords does a 12
bar blues have?
What is the root in a chord?
45. Compose your own blues
• Choose a subject that
makes you feel blue or
that worries you
• Example:
– Hard times hard times how long are you going to stay?
– Hard times hard times how long are you going to stay?
– I’m here today, tomorrow I may be going away
(rhyme!)
– I woke up this morn’ coundn’t get out of bed
– I woke up this morn’ coundn’t get out of bed
– The radio was playin’, couldn’t hear a word they said
(rhyme!)
• Lyrics should be sad
• Remember AAB
structure
• Call and response
structure
• Write at least 4 verses
• Perform your blues to
the accompaniment
