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The Blues By Zahra.
Slave trade. The blues music all started during the slave trade in the 18th and 19th century. Thousands of Africans were brought to America to be kept as slaves on the farms. Life was horrible for these Africans because they were taken away from their homes and brought to somewhere they weren't very familiar with.
Unhappy slaves. Music played an important role in the slaves lives because they were able to express how unhappy they were. They would often start singing about freedom and how it would be like to get back home. Freedom was worse than slavery for many of the black Americans because when they were set free they faced poverty and homelessness and often denied jobs. This made them even more unhappy so they started singing even more.
Instrumentsused. The most popular instrument used was the drums. They were either played with the palm of their hands, their fingertips or with sticks. Jaw bones were turned into percussion instruments when the teeth were scraped with keys or metal objects. Other instruments used were shakers, tambourines and the fiddle.
12 bar blues. The 12 bar blues is the most common type of the blues and also fits with the typical blues lyrics. The 12 bar blues is based on three different parts. The chords, the melody line and the scale improvisation. The term ‘12 bar’ refers to the amount of how many musical bars are played. The three primary chords are: C, F & G. The notes of the melody line are: G, C3, D & D#. The scale improvisation notes are: C3, D#, F, F#, G, A# & C4.
12 bar blues artists Robert Johnson is a famous blues artist. He was a passionate singer and a brilliant guitarist. Another famous blues artist is Bessie Smith. She normally delivered her music in a powerful emotionally charged manner. There are many other blues artists such as John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvakJh3c3w
