Music Genre Descriptors: Blues (RYM)

Acoustic Blues

Developed out of Work Songs and Spirituals to become the most prominent early form of Blues.

Piedmont Blues

Developed in the early 20th century in the southern Appalachian foothills and characterized by a syncopated but melodic Ragtime-based finger-picking acoustic guitar style.

Boogie Woogie

Early, uptempo Blues featuring the piano as the main instrument, with soloing and improvisation played over the top of a repetitive eight note bassline.

Country Blues

Various styles of Blues originating in the rural US South, typically relying on expressive vocal delivery and featuring simple, usually acoustic instrumentation.

Delta Blues

One of the earliest forms of Blues, named for the Mississippi Delta region of the United States where it developed, with a highly rhythmic style and a typical 12-bar structure.

Electric Blues

Major development in sound and reach of Blues when it became possible to amplify the instruments of small combos.

Chicago Blues

Heavily inspired by old-time rural blues, transferring it into a small band setup, while maintaining the rough and gritty edges of its ancestry.

New Orleans Blues

Diverse scene in New Orleans since the beginning of the 20th century, commonly associated with a sound led by rollicking pianos with syncopated beats and backed by horns.

Piano Blues

Played either solo or with the piano as the lead instrument of a small combo performing slow or mid-tempo blues ballads, as opposed to the commonly fast-paced Boogie Woogie.

Soul Blues

Shares similarities with Soul and incorporates the eponymous soulful inflections of Gospel, Jump Blues and soul into the vocals.