MUSC 200 Lecture 5 Outline of Last Lecture I TPA Pop Music Features II Musical Features of I m Old Fashioned III Blues a Social Context b Musical Predecessors c Musical Terms d Musical Features e 12 Bar Blues Form Outline of Current Lecture IV Blue Notes V Call Response VI Early Blues a Rural Blues b Classic City Blues c Boogie Woogie VII Country Roots of Rock Roll a Folk Music b ECM i Mountain Style ii Country Style Current Lecture Blue notes a particular kind of melodic device make music more interesting lively one must review melody in order to understand blue notes Major scale defined by a series of whole half steps 7 pitches defined by interval o Interval distance between 2 pitches Half step smallest interval o Blues musicians took notes 3 5 7 essential notes lowered flatted them a step gave music a distinct sound More pitches to play with gave music a distinct sound o Blue notes ARE the flatted 3rd 5th 7th notes Blues musicians would bend slide between the notes to create more expressive opportunities Singers use melody to play a phrase then play instrumentals to emphasize the 1 st phrase o Melody sung over 1st 2 bars incomplete sound call response melody in next 2 bars Call response call response call response Like a dialogue between people Call Response This device was just an element in European music but it was ESSENTIAL in West African music Blues is quintessentially an African American form of music Early Blues 3 types Rural blues o 1st style of blues to emerge not on records until 1920 s o Practiced largely by itinerant musicians Male singer a guitar Many opportunities to play w tempo b c of solo style rhythmic twists extra beats etc much expression o Sub styles TX style E Coast style Mississippi River Region Robert Johnson retroactively famous o I Believe I ll Dust My Broom by Robert Johnson Bouncy 12 Bar Blues form intro then 12 Bar Played w the time added beats dropped measures etc Call response is heard pretty clearly the 2 are clearly separated I believe part where singer beautifully uses blue notes Classic City Blues o 1910 s start but took off in 1920 s o Generally a female vocalist w a piano or a small jazz band Sang in large Vaudeville theatres strong powerful voices o REGULAR 12 Bar Blues form becomes standard o 1st style of Blues on a record Radio call o RKOH Records Bessie Smith 1st on record Enforced segregation within music styles Needed a name for music to sell it in a catalogue they called the Blues race music o Race music started selling like hotcakes Scouts sent out to find good blues singers o Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith Call response pattern is pretty simple to hear distinguish 12 Bar Blues form followed to a T Blue notes singer must adjust the pitch of her voice to hit the blue notes Beautifully sculpted blue notes Boogie Woogie o Originated at the start of WWI did not take off for a couple of decades o Played at parties o Primarily a PIANO form of music Had to be loud playing at parties had to be louder than the chatter Took basic 12 Bar Blues form but adjusted things to make it interesting o Usually had a fast driving rhythm o Honky Tonk Train Blues by Meade Lux Lewis Juxtaposition of driving rhythms left hand contrasting rhythms right hand Country Roots of Rock Roll Significant relationship country Euro American music usually performed by white guys o Country music borrowed elements from the Blues Music industry tried to enforce musical segregation power force Certain racial musical styles are not so clear cut overlap between styles Social context urbanization modernization of the U S o Early country 1920 s newly industrialized U S 1 style of country music rejected this songs rebelling vs social changes that came w industrialization All about coming to terms w this new world Roots in folk music rural white Southerners o Ballads were characteristic of folk music Country dance music o String bands fiddle o Developed in U S Europe Cheaper guitars were a revolutionary development o Guitars had been used in the background as accompaniment instruments Choral song o Congregation would sing shake note music a form of easy to follow folk music indicated pitch changes such Average Joe could sing this stuff Oral tradition of folk music Early Country Music ECM o 1st form of country music took elements from folk music lyrics had folk influence too Also elements of TPA music Blues TPA ignored Southern styles of music unsophisticated o 1920 s slump in record sales music industry decided to find some new music to sell o Radio really got country music out here Radio needed to fill up its dead air time folk musicians would play live on the radio Radio barn dances began in 1927 Grand Old Opry still well known from this Mexican radio was influential as well Powerful radio stations were set up across the border no U S government regulations on how much power could be used by the station in a given amount of time other regulations did not apply o Lots of country music was played by these stations o Stations were so powerful that their signals could be received all the way in Canada 1923 Ralph Peer recorded fiddler John Carson music went on record The music actually sold Sent more A R guys out to scout out country folk talent New part of catalogue Hillbilly Music for rural white Southerners Summer 1927 Peer took a road trip advertised an open audition 20 people responded 2 of whom were VERY influential country guys o Carter Family Mountain Style o Jimmy Rogers Country Style Mountain style had more instrumentals nasal singing sound harmonic vocals Country style had older instruments jazz steel guitar brass reed TPA blues influences SOLO SINGER Both drew from folk roots but both also incorporated new elements in their music