Why do they call it 12 Bar Blues?

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 is 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.

What blues means?

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 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 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 are in the blues?

The blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th Century. Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves—African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields.

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.

What makes Blues different from other music?

When you listen to the blues, you might immediately notice that it sounds different. That sound you hear that you might call “bluesy” is an effect called blue (or flatted) notes. Blues musicians play certain chords (combinations of two or more notes) at a slightly lower pitch than on the regular musical scale.

How do you describe 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.

What makes the blues sound like the blues?

That sound you hear that you might call “bluesy” is an effect called blue (or flatted) notes. Blues musicians play certain chords (combinations of two or more notes) at a slightly lower pitch than on the regular musical scale. … The slight lowering of the pitch tends to create a darker, sadder, or more mysterious sound.

What were the blues songs usually written about?

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.

How do you write a blues poem?

A traditional blues stanza has three lines. The first line is repeated with the second line, but you can also use a repetitive variation. Then comes the third line, which is rhyming. Blues poetry doesn't have to follow the traditional form—often, poems are considered blues because of their content rather than form.