Blues
- Subgenres
- 5
- Starting recordings
- 358
Meet Blues
Developed from African American musical traditions in the American South, blues is often recognized by blue notes, repeated phrases and call-and-response structures.
Blues reshaped the melody, harmony and vocal language of jazz, R&B, rock, country and popular music. Understanding it provides a central route into twentieth-century popular music history.
Begin with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Useful starting recordings include “Cross Road Blues”, “Boogie Chillen”, “Everyday I Have the Blues”.
Its place in the genre family
What to listen for
Listen for pitches that bend or move around the expected note.
Notice the call and response between the voice, lyrics and instruments.
Compare the timbre of rural acoustic blues with urban electric blues.
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North America · Blues
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