Rock Roots 3:Rock Roots 3:

Blues and Country MusicBlues and Country Music

BluesBlues

• Most influential form to emerge from Most influential form to emerge from matrix of 19th c. American musicmatrix of 19th c. American music

• Foundation for nearly all popular music Foundation for nearly all popular music in the U.S.in the U.S.

Ancestors of the BluesAncestors of the Blues

• Work songsWork songs– strongly rhythmicstrongly rhythmic– often often call and responsecall and response::

• one person sings phrase, “answered” by groupone person sings phrase, “answered” by group

• SpiritualsSpirituals– African-American adaptation of European hymn singing African-American adaptation of European hymn singing – include blue notes, more rhythmic vitalityinclude blue notes, more rhythmic vitality

• BalladsBallads• Syncopated dance musicSyncopated dance music

Early bluesEarly blues

• Classic BluesClassic Blues

• Country BluesCountry Blues

Early bluesEarly blues

• Classic BluesClassic Blues– Earliest popular bluesEarliest popular blues– Formally composed, commercial musicFormally composed, commercial music– Accompanied by small jazz combo or jazz Accompanied by small jazz combo or jazz

pianistpianist– Performed by female singers from Performed by female singers from

vaudeville traditionvaudeville tradition– Ex. Bessie Smith, Back Water BluesEx. Bessie Smith, Back Water Blues

Bessie Smith (1895-1937)Bessie Smith (1895-1937)

• ““Empress of the Blues”Empress of the Blues”• Straddled line between Straddled line between

vaudeville and the bluesvaudeville and the blues• Extremely expressiveExtremely expressive• Chose appropriate vocal Chose appropriate vocal

tone for materialtone for material• Nuanced phrasing and Nuanced phrasing and

timingtiming

Bessie Smith, Back Water Bessie Smith, Back Water BluesBlues

• 12-bar blues12-bar blues

• rough, “gritty” vocal style rough, “gritty” vocal style

• conversational styleconversational style

• short instrumental breaks at end of each short instrumental breaks at end of each lineline– typical of bluestypical of blues– like call and response with instrumentlike call and response with instrument

Country BluesCountry Blues• Mainly male solo performers Mainly male solo performers

• Improvised, not composedImprovised, not composed

• Performers accompany themselves on Performers accompany themselves on guitar or pianoguitar or piano– Guitar style: Guitar style:

• rhythmic strummingrhythmic strumming• plucked melodyplucked melody• slide guitar: sliding between notes = blue notesslide guitar: sliding between notes = blue notes

Bottleneck or Slide GuitarBottleneck or Slide Guitar

• Probably Probably Hawaiian origin!Hawaiian origin!

• Common in blues, Common in blues, hillbilly, Western hillbilly, Western swing, honky-tonkswing, honky-tonk

Robert JohnsonRobert Johnson

• ““King of the Delta Blues”King of the Delta Blues”• Sophisticated guitar techniqueSophisticated guitar technique

– Single string soloing Single string soloing – Extensive use of slide Extensive use of slide

• Major influence on lead guitar Major influence on lead guitar styles in rockstyles in rock

– Especially blues rock of Especially blues rock of 1960s1960s

• Ex. 1 Cross Road BluesEx. 1 Cross Road Blues

Robert Johnson, Come On In My Robert Johnson, Come On In My KitchenKitchen

• blues verse/chorus formblues verse/chorus form– 12 bar blues progression, but abc lyrics12 bar blues progression, but abc lyrics– Last line functions as chorusLast line functions as chorus

• Number of spoken phrases, Number of spoken phrases, vocalizations, dropped or slurred words vocalizations, dropped or slurred words

• Johnson plays both melody and Johnson plays both melody and harmony; melody mirrors vocal lineharmony; melody mirrors vocal line

In cities country blues develops into…..In cities country blues develops into…..

• Hokum bluesHokum blues

• Boogie WoogieBoogie Woogie

• Chicago bluesChicago blues

• Rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues

Hokum bluesHokum blues• Novelty bluesNovelty blues

• Combination of jazz, country blues, Combination of jazz, country blues, Classic blues, and popular musicClassic blues, and popular music– Some of jazz “bounce”Some of jazz “bounce”– Singer with guitar or piano accompanimentSinger with guitar or piano accompaniment– Silly lyrics, or filled with double-entendresSilly lyrics, or filled with double-entendres

Tampa Red and Georgia Tom, Tampa Red and Georgia Tom, Tight Like ThatTight Like That

• Verse and refrain, with weight on refrainVerse and refrain, with weight on refrain

• ““Naughty good humor”Naughty good humor”

• ““walking” guitar riffs walking” guitar riffs

• Expanded rhythm sectionExpanded rhythm section

• stop timestop time - instruments stop playing - instruments stop playing abruptly, vocals continueabruptly, vocals continue

Boogie-WoogieBoogie-Woogie• Piano bluesPiano blues

• Country blues + ragtimeCountry blues + ragtime

• Shuffle rhythm established in left handShuffle rhythm established in left hand

• Riffs in right hand build up blues-Riffs in right hand build up blues-inflected melodyinflected melody

• Eight-beat rhythmEight-beat rhythm

• Ex. Pinetop Smith, Pinetop’s Boogie Ex. Pinetop Smith, Pinetop’s Boogie WoogieWoogie

Boogie-WoogieBoogie-Woogie

• Boogie-woogie at fast tempos = eight-Boogie-woogie at fast tempos = eight-beat rock rhythmbeat rock rhythm

• Ex: Roll ‘Em Pete - Pete Johnson and Ex: Roll ‘Em Pete - Pete Johnson and Big Joe TurnerBig Joe Turner

Country MusicCountry Music

• Anglo-American folk music from Britain Anglo-American folk music from Britain influenced by African-American musicinfluenced by African-American music– Fiddle, banjo, guitar preferred instrumentsFiddle, banjo, guitar preferred instruments– High, nasal singing styleHigh, nasal singing style

• Called “old-time” musicCalled “old-time” music– Emerges from matrix of influences at Emerges from matrix of influences at

undetermined timeundetermined time

• Commercial version = country musicCommercial version = country music

Country music Country music

• Two broad, early categories:Two broad, early categories:– Mountain tradition = Carter familyMountain tradition = Carter family– Hillbilly Hillbilly

• Heavily influenced by popular music, African-Heavily influenced by popular music, African-American folk music, jazz and bluesAmerican folk music, jazz and blues

• Ex. Jimmie RodgersEx. Jimmie Rodgers

Carter Family - Wildwood Carter Family - Wildwood FlowerFlower

• Nasal vocal toneNasal vocal tone

• Strophic formStrophic form

• Two-beat style beatTwo-beat style beat

• ““Thumb-brush” guitar styleThumb-brush” guitar style– melody played on lower stringsmelody played on lower strings– chords played on upper stringschords played on upper strings– influenced folk, country guitaristsinfluenced folk, country guitarists

Country vocal harmoniesCountry vocal harmonies

• Both country styles share vocal harmony Both country styles share vocal harmony “sound”“sound”– Harmony singing with lines a 3Harmony singing with lines a 3rdrd apart apart– Influenced by Sacred Harp or Influenced by Sacred Harp or shape noteshape note

singing methodsinging method– CalledCalled tight vocal harmonies tight vocal harmonies– Ex. Bailes Brothers, You Can't Go Halfway Ex. Bailes Brothers, You Can't Go Halfway

(and Get In)(and Get In)

Jimmie Rodgers - Waiting for Jimmie Rodgers - Waiting for a Traina Train

• Sparse, chordal accompanimentSparse, chordal accompaniment

• Blues inflected vocal toneBlues inflected vocal tone

• Blue yodel Blue yodel

• Definite influences from popular music, Definite influences from popular music, country music, jazz, and bluescountry music, jazz, and blues

Western SwingWestern Swing

• Hybrid of cowboy music, dance music, Hybrid of cowboy music, dance music, jazz, bluesjazz, blues

• Strong dance beatStrong dance beat• Heavy two-beat style, but with accent Heavy two-beat style, but with accent

on backbeaton backbeat• Jazz instrumental ensemble, including Jazz instrumental ensemble, including

drumsdrums• Ex. Bob Wills, Steel Guitar RagEx. Bob Wills, Steel Guitar Rag

Honky-tonkHonky-tonk

• Fusion of hillbilly and Western Fusion of hillbilly and Western • Emerges in years after World War IIEmerges in years after World War II• Primarily played in beer joints, aka Primarily played in beer joints, aka

honky-tonkshonky-tonks• In response to loud environment, electric In response to loud environment, electric

AND acoustic guitars usedAND acoustic guitars used

Pedal Steel GuitarPedal Steel Guitar

Honky-tonkHonky-tonk

• ““Country two-beat”Country two-beat”• Emotional singing style, with blues inflectionsEmotional singing style, with blues inflections• Emotional content expressed in direct Emotional content expressed in direct

languagelanguage • Ex. Hank Williams, Your Cheatin’ HeartEx. Hank Williams, Your Cheatin’ Heart