1. The Blues
The Blues
A short history

2. The Blues Feeling, Form, or Genre? “the blues” vs. “a blues”
12-bar form/structure has come to stand in for a more diverse traditional genre
A short history

3. The Blues A Short History of the Genre
Mysterious origins – 1860s? (post-Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation?)
Came out of work songs (e.g., field hollers), and as a secular counterpart to gospel traditions
The Blues
A short history

4. The Blues
A short history

5. Characteristics of early blues
The Blues
Lyrics: Melancholy secular content reflecting personal realities and struggles
“Blue” notes
A short history

6. The Blues Recorded Blues
The first 12-bar blues recorded in (Hart Wand)
Father of the blues: W.C. Handy “St. Louis Blues” (1912)
The Blues
A short history

7. The Blues
A short history

8. 12-Bar form and AAB lyric/melody formula are
12-Bar form and AAB lyric/melody formula are established as defining characteristics of “the blues”
Most blues genres are still based on this definitive structure…

9. A Few Blues Genres Delta Blues (slide guitar, country-inflected)
Piedmont Blues (ragtime/fingerpicked)
Big Band Blues (e.g., Count Basie)
Jump Blues (fast blues)
Memphis Blues (dance-able, jug-band)
Chicago Blues (electric blues)

11. The 12-Bar Blues (IV) (IV) (V)
I – I – I – I – IV – IV – I – I – V – V – I – I
(IV) (IV) (V)

12. AAB Lyric/Melody Formula
Oh baby don’t you want to go
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago

13. There's a red house over yonder, that's where my baby stays
There's a red house over yonder, that's where my baby stays. There's a red house over yonder, lord, that's where my baby stays. Well, I ain't been home to see my baby in ninety nine and one half days Wait a minute, something's wrong - the key wont unlock this door. Wait a minute, something's wrong, babe – the key wont unlock this door. I got a bad, bad feeling that my baby don't live here no more. I might as well go on back yonder – way back yonder cross the hill. I might as well go back over yonder - way back yonder 'cross the hill, 'Cos if my baby don't love me no more - I know her sister will!

14. The “blues” scale

15. Your assignment
Write your own 12-bar blues
Notate it using Sibelius software
Perform it for the class!