Where Did The Blues Come From?

Aim: to be able to understand a musicians influence.

What influences musicians to write music?

Past experiences
Scenery
Feelings
Emotions
Family and their background
Other musicians
Current times
Persona
Musical trends

Blues Music

Came from slave work songs during the Slave

Trade
Normally has a constant beat, similar to the
12 bar blues.
Normally sad and depressing
Speak often of unrequited love

Listen to this extract and answer the qu

estions.
1. This is a piece of Blues music, true or false?
2.
3.

What is the mood of the music? What

diegetic sounds can you hear?
What do you think the beat represents?

How the Blues developed

Africa

America(Slave
work songs)
Blu
es
Jazz
Swing
Rhythm and
Blues (original)
Early Rock n Roll
R&B (modern)

4 Different Voices in music

Sopranohigh
female
Tenorhigh
male

Alto- low
female
BassLow
male

Copy out this table into your books.

Tempo

Hard Time
Mannish B
oy
Trouble
Thrill Is G
one

Hound Do
g

Instrume
nts

Vocals

Date

Genre

Answers
Tempo

Instrument
s

Vocals

Date

Genre

Hard Time

Andante/ada
gio

Guitar
(acoustic)

Tenor

Mannish
Boy

Andante

Drums/electr Bass and

ic guitar
tenor

1940
s

Rhythm
and Blues

Trouble

Adagio/anda
nte

Acapella

1930
s

Blues

Thrill Is
Gone

Adagio

Bass &
Tenor
electric
guitar,
drums, cello,
DJ

2000
s

R&B

Hound Dog

Presto/
allegro

Bass guitar,
drums,
double bass

1950
s

Rock n
Roll

Alto and
tenor

Tenor

What does it mean to feel blue?

When you are blue; you are moody and sad.

Blue can also mean youre feeling ill.

Blues music (mini revision)

Work songs
Constant beat
Reflects on feelings
Hardship and pain (slavery)
Unhappy
Slavery from Africa to America

Homework

Listen to and research a traditional blues

performer.
Find out the myth of Robert Johnson.
Include 6 facts(Where? Instruments? Music?)
Describe songs