Music II - Singing the Blues

What musical tradition arose in the United States before jazz?

The blues

When did the blues rise to international attention?

Early 20th century

What musical style did the blues influence?

Jazz and other popular musical styles

What are the meanings of the word "blues"?

"The music of people, a style of music, a type of performance, a despondent state of mind, and a musical form"

Who contributed African musical elements to the blues?

Enslaved Africans

What musical characteristic did African music often involve?

Group singing, frequently in a call-and-response pattern

What is call-and-response?

A musical pattern where a solo leader presents a motif and the chorus responds, either by echoing the motif or with a contrasting answer

What vocal technique is used to embellish meaningful words or pitches in African music?

Melisma

Give an example of melisma.

The syllable “Glo-” in “Gloria in excelsis” from "Angels We Have Heard on High" flexes over a long descending series of notes

What influenced melismatic singing in African cultures?

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

What is a blues scale?

A scale that subtly modifies the 3rd and 7th steps so they are no longer in tune with conventional major or minor scales

What are blue notes?

Notes that create ambivalence between major and minor harmony; derived from West African approach to pitches

What is blues-singing?

Using blue notes or blues inflections in singing

What African characteristics found their way into blues music?

Call-and-response, melismas, blue notes

What is the twelve-bar blues?

A twelve-measure chord pattern using three core chords: tonic (I), subdominant (IV), dominant (V)

How did the twelve-bar blues allow musicians to perform together?

It provided a consistent harmonic foundation so performers could play without sheet music

What is a chorus in blues music?

Each repetition of the twelve-bar blues pattern

What meter are twelve-bar blues songs set in?

Duple or quadruple meter

What rhythmic approach is used in blues?

Flexible rhythm: first eighth note in a pair is lengthened, second is shortened

How did blues rhythm influence jazz?

It influenced the swing rhythm

How are blues lyrics structured?

Three phrases of poetry, each spanning four measures

What is the first line custom in blues lyrics?

The first line is repeated, usually with embellishments

What is the third line custom in blues lyrics?

The third line is often the punch line

What is the lyrical pattern of blues songs?

a a b

Who spoofed blues lyric patterns in Starlight Express?

Andrew Lloyd Webber

When was Andrew Lloyd Webber born?

1948

When was Starlight Express performed?

1987

Who is Poppa in Starlight Express?

A character who sings a parody of blues lyrics

What does Poppa say about the first line in blues lyrics?

It is always sung a second time

What does Poppa say about the third line in blues lyrics?

There is no law saying the third line must be different

What is the meaning of "singing the blues"?

Expressing sadness as a form of emotional catharsis

Why was blues important for enslaved Africans?

It allowed them to express and release their unhappiness

What is "feeling blue"?

An expression associated with melancholy

When was the term “blue devils” used as a synonym for depression?

Sixteenth century