Singing The Blues

What meanings does the word “blues” have

It is the music of people, a stle of music, a type of performance, a despondent state of mind and a musical form

Blues style originates from where?

Enslaved Africans who were brought to the United States often involves group singing

Blues frequently employs what technique?

Call-and-respone

How does call-and-respose work?

A solo leader presents a motif and the chorus response, either by echoing the motif or with a contrasting answer

African singing often incorporates what?

Special vocal devices to embellish meaningful words or pitches

What is the technique of embellishment known as?

Melismatic

What does melismatic mean?

One syllable of the poetry is set to multipule pitches in the melody

Where can a melisma be heard?

In the Chrismas carol “Angels We Have Heard on High

In the refrain “Gloria in excelsis” which syllable flexes over a long descending series of notes

“Glo-”

Scholars believe that the melismatic music of many African cultures was influenced by what?

The Muslim call to prayer and the embellished manner of reciting the Quar’an

What does the blues scale modify?

The third and seventh steps so they are no longer in tune with conventional major or minor scales

The third and seventh steps of a blues scale are called what?

Blue notes

Blue notes are a reflection of what?

The West African approach to pithes

How do blue notes affect the pitches?

They make the resulting harmony seem ambivalent: are we in the major mode or the minor?

What can blues singing sometimes mean?

That a singer uses the blues inflections

What African characteristics can be seen in the Blues?

Call and response, melistmas, and blue notes

In the twelve-bar-blues form what three core chords are used?

Tonic (I) Dominant (V) and Subdominant (IV)

How are the three core chords used in the twelve bar blues form?

In a predictable twelve measure pattern

Each repetition of the pattern is known as what?

A chorus

The systematic use of this harmonic foundation meant what?

Blues performers could play together without the need for sheet music to guide them

What meter are the twelve-bar-blues set it?

Duple (or quadruple)

Twelve-bar-blues often uses what kind of rhythmic approach?

A flexible rhythmic approach

How is the flexible rhythmic approach created?

By lengthening the first eighth note in a pair and shortening the second eighth note

The flexible, loose rhythm described in twelve-bar blues would have an effect on what?

The swing rhythm associated with jazz

During the twelve measure pattern what does singers sing?

Three phrases of poetry

Each phrase of poetry sun can span over how many measures?

4

The custom for singers is to do what?

Repeat the first line of text often with embellishments

After repeating the first line of text what does the singer do?

Move onto a new rhyming phrase

The third phrase has been described as the what?

Punch line

What is the diagram for a singers pattern?

a a b

Who spoofed the convention of using the a a b pattern?

Andrew Lloyd Webber

In what musical did Webber not use the a a b pattern?

Starlight Express

Which character sings Poppa’s Blues

Poppa

What was a sixteenth century term for depression?

Blue devils

What is the primary purpose of blues?

To help the performer get rid of those unhappy emotions

What nickname has been given to the oldest format for blues singing?

Country Blues

What does the term country blues reflect?

The rural origins of the first knwn type of blues-singing

When does the first known type of blues singing date back to?

The nineteenth century

How does a singer usually perform in country blues?

He is often alone, the rhythm is quite free and sometimes he does not pay strict attention to the usual twelve bar pattern

What does a country blues singer usually accompany himself with?

A guitar, accordion, or harmonica

Where would a country blues singer play?

At informal situations — picnics, parties, roadhouses, and brothels

Country blues singers were sometimes paid in what?

Alcohol

What subjects would a country blues singer talk about?

Love gone sour, or political topics, complaining about poverty or mistreatment by the government

What did Country blues directly influence?

Protest songs that arose later in the twentieth century

Where did many of the first blues singers live?

The Mississippi Delta region

Blues singers approaches to music were passed along by what?

Word of mouth

What other nicknames have been given to Country blues?

Folk blues, Southern blues, Delta blues, or Down-home blues

The improvised nature of blues requires what to gain a full sense of its approach?

Recordings

Who was among the earliest recorded singers?

Blind Lemon Jefferson, Huddie Ledbetter, and Robert Johnson

When did Jefferson start issuing songs?

1926

When does Huddie Ledbetters first records date form?

1933

Why did Robert Johnson achieve a following?

A mythology concerning a sudden improvement in his ability to play guitar 

How long of an absence did Johnson take?

6 months

What did some believe about Johnson?

He sold his soul to the Devil

Why did people believe Johnson sold his soul to the devil?

After a 6-month absence he made sudden improvement is his ability to play a guitar

When did Johnson make his first recordings?

The mid 1930s

Classic blues displayed what?

More “big city” characteristics

Classic blues was also known as what?

Urban blues, city blues, and vaudeville blues

How did classic blues differ from other styles?

It was more theatrical

How did audiences of classic blues react when viewing performances?

The audience sat and listened rather than mimicking the party atmosphere of most country blues performances

Many vocalists in classic-blues were what?

Women

Who were vocalists in classic blues accompanied by?

Either a piano or small ensemble

The small ensemble that would accompany a singer would be called what?

A combo

The poetry of classic blues was often what?

Autobiographical

The lyrics of classic blues often focused on what?

Love and romantic relationships

Why was the rhythm of classic blues less free?

Due to the participation of multiple performers

Sheet music often represented what style of blues?

Classic

Who was one of the earliest publishers of printed blues music?

W. C. Handy

When did W. C. Handy first release his sheet music?

1912

Who has been recognized as one of the greatest classical-blues singers?

Bessie Smith

What was Bessie Smith’s nickname?

Empress of the Blues

Why was Smith dubbed Empress of the Blues?

For her cast iron voice and many classical blues recordings she has made

Who did Smith influence?

Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Mahalia Jackson

Who would listen to Smith sing as a child?

A notable gospel singer

Who helped pay for Smiths headstone?

Jannis Joplin

What did Smiths grave read?

The greatest blues singer int he world will never stop singing

Who issues album sets of records devoted solely to Bessie Smith?

Columbia Records

How many album sets did Colombia records release?

5 double album sets of records

When did Colombia records release their albums of Bessie Smith?

The 1970’s

What industry did smith have a hard time getting into?

The recording industry

A producer from where decided to give Smith a chance?

A producer from Columbia Records

When did Columbia Records give smith a chance in a recording studio?

February 1923

Why did Columbia sign Smith?

They were essentially bankrupt and felt they had nothing to lose

What were Smiths first reordings?

Down Hearted Blues and Gulf Coast Blues

How many copies did Smiths records sell over six years?

6 million

In two months how many copies did smith sell?

2 million

How did Smith influence Columbia Records?

Smith put Columbia back on solid financial footing