What defines a blues song?
What defines a blues song?
Blues is an African-American music that traverses a wide range of emotions and musical styles. “Feeling blue” is expressed in songs whose verses lament injustice or express longing for a better life and lost loves, jobs, and money. But blues is also a raucous dance music that celebrates pleasure and success.
Is blues the devil’s music?
The origins of the blues are closely related to the religious music of Afro-American community, the spirituals. … Depending on the religious community a musician belonged to, it was more or less considered a sin to play this low-down music: blues was the devil's music.
Why are blues songs sad?
Clearly, the blues is unusually rich in emotional expression. So, no, the blues is not sad music, and they do not tend to make us sad. Rather, if anything, they send sad feelings scurrying off someplace else. The blues is a primary mode of expressing identity.
Who made blues music popular?
Blues, secular folk music created by African Americans in the early 20th century, originally in the South. The simple but expressive forms of the blues became by the 1960s one of the most important influences on the development of popular music throughout the United States.
Why do they call it 12 Bar Blues?
The term "12-bar" refers to the number of measures, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song. Nearly all blues music is played to a 4/4 time signature, which means that there are four beats in every measure or bar and each quarter note is equal to one beat.
What emotion does the blues portray?
The blues has always been associated with a certain kind of emotion. A painful emotion. A sad emotion. And perhaps an emotion that can't be captured in any other music or any other way.
Who is known as the father of the blues?
Remembering the Father of the Blues. Today's blog celebrates the career of W.C. Handy. Born in Florence, Alabama on November 16, 1873, William Christopher Handy became interested in music at an early age.
What is blue slang for?
BLUE means "Sad" So now you know – BLUE means "Sad" – don't thank us. YW! What does BLUE mean? BLUE is an acronym, abbreviation or slang word that is explained above where the BLUE definition is given.
Is Blues still popular today?
From Chicago. The Blues is still alive and well, but it is no longer the most popular form. Popular music moved from Jazz and Blues to Rock and Roll, R&B, Rock, Funk, Disco, etc. … The Blues is still alive and well, but it is no longer the most popular form.
What are the main characteristics of blues music?
Although instrumental accompaniment is almost universal in the blues, the blues is essentially a vocal form. Blues songs are lyrical rather than narrative; blues singers are expressing feelings rather than telling stories. The emotion expressed is generally one of sadness or melancholy, often due to problems in love.