Blues

The style of Black American music started when blacks were chained slaves working in cotton fields.

The Rhythms and songs used, were brought over by slaves from Africa , these songs were mixed with music of white people from Britain.

The slaves were transported to America in awful conditions.

Blues

Slaves were bought and sold easily and treated very poorly.

Slaves were also auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Blues

Life for the slaves did not get much better when they arrived in America.

They worked long hours and the work they did was very hard.

Some landowners were kinder and better to work for and would sometimes give the slaves a small amount of free time.

Blues

During the long days of work, slaves would sing about their feelings and the problems they faced.

They would sing about a better life in the future.

This music was never written down but was passed through generations and taught the same way that we learn nursery rhymes and songs.

Blues

Blues

American civil war in the 19C resulted in the slaves being freed.

Army marching bands were broken up and their instruments sold off cheaply.

The instruments were sold off and the black people took up these instruments and formed bands.

They played their own versions of European march-tunes but made them more fun.

Blues

The songs were ‘Jazzed’ up with: -syncopated rhythms -bending the pitch of notes -inventing parts as they went along(also known as improvisation)

By ‘bending’ notes, the blues scale was developed.

This out of tune effect, gives the blues its special flavour.

Blues

Sliding notes out of tune was imitated by guitarists playing with a slide (metal tube).

Later on Blues developed and become important even in the 50’s and 60’s.

Blues

Metal tube on finger

Blues is the basis of much of today’s rock music.

The 12 bar blues is one of the most common ways of constructing present day popular music.

Blues