Essay about Genre History Blues - 680 Words

Genre History: Blues The musical genre of blues is one that has continued to be a prolific style of music for many years. The blues began as working songs and field hollers sung by African American slave communities, beginning in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. The blues genre has since become a major influence on other developing genres. Most modern genres can be traced back to the genre, originating in the deep south of the United States. The musical style of blues is very distinct, and is identifiable to almost anyone. The many instruments generally used include acoustic guitar, bass, body and voice, piano and harmonica, as well as several others. In terms of production elements, traditional blues music is produced using minimal†¦show more content†¦(Brown, 2008) Sonically, the Delta Blues where defined by the soulful, expressive lyrical content, as well as the instrumentation, which would usually be portable, and often homemade. Delta Blues emerged from the slave work songs, influencing later musicians. The music can be a departure from everyday life, or can tell the stories of oppression and sadness that the slaves of the early 20th century experienced. The song â€Å"I Be’s Troubled† by Muddy Waters is â€Å"a great example of the Delta sound that would come to shape and influence the Chicago, Memphis and rock styles of music.† (Awblues.weebly.com, 2014). The song demonstrates very early use of now common sonic techniques; a slide guitar intro followed by vocals; the only two instruments in the song. The song is about a lost love, a theme present in a vast amount of Delta Blues (and many other genre’s) songs. Delta blues artists such as Charley Patton, Muddy Waters and Son House were amongst the most influential of the era, such musicians lead the way to the next era of blues music: Chicago Blues. The Chicago Blues style, named so from its city of origin, began to take form in the late 1940’s. It evolved from delta blues, when musicians began to amplify instruments and reduce the size of bands. â€Å"Adding drums, bass, and piano (sometimes saxophones) to the basic string band and harmonica aggregation, the style created the nowShow MoreRelatedThe Origins Of Rock And Roll1090 Words   |  5 Pagesinvented Rock and Roll, without their musical contributions we would not have the genre.† As an eager, attentive History 105 student I have had to opportunity to learn a great deal about the origins of the genre of Rock and Roll. The origin, even though many historians have attempted to determine exactly where it came from, is still unknown. Rock and Roll is a blend of Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Hillbilly, Rhythm and Blues and many more types of music. Throughout this essay I will try and determine if theRead MoreThe Ragtime Vs. The Blues1616 Words   |  7 Pages ¬Ragtime vs. The Blues In the city of New Orleans emerged one of the most influential music genres in U.S. history. 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