2.03 Quiz: The Blues Part 2

Take this quiz to see how much you know about The Blues Part 2!

The Birth of the Blues

The blues is a style of music that originated in the United States around the end of the 19th century. It is characterized by a repetitive 12-bar chord progression, a call-and-response format, and often a focus on the hardships of daily life. The style is frequently associated with the African-American experience, but it has also been adopted by musicians of other cultures.

The Mississippi Delta

The Mississippi Delta is a region of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, on the west side of the state. The region has a long history of settlement and human activity, which has shaped its geography and culture.

The Delta was once a fertile area for agriculture, but it has become increasingly deforested and eroded over time. The region is now home to many different kinds of wildlife, including several endangered species.

The Delta is also home to the blues, a genre of music that originated in the region in the early 20th century. The blues is characterized by its use of blue notes, which create a mournful or sorrowful sound.

The first reference to the blues was in an article published in 1903 by W. C. Handy, a musician from Memphis, Tennessee who had visited the Delta region. In his article, Handy described hearing a music style that he had never heard before, which he later titled “the Memphis Blues.”

The blues soon spread from the Delta region to other parts of the United States and beyond, becoming one of the most popular and influential genres of music in the world.

W.C. Handy

W.C. Handy was an African American composer and musician who is credited with helping to develop the blues genre of music. Born in Florence, Alabama in 1873, Handy was a self-taught musician who taught himself to play the cornet and then the trumpet. He began his professional career playing in a band led by his older brother, but he soon ventured out on his own, playing in various minstrel and vaudeville shows. In 1909, he settled in Memphis, Tennessee, where he worked as a musician and a music teacher.

Handy began composing songs in 1912, and one of his most famous compositions, “The Memphis Blues,” was published in 1912 and became one of the first_blues_songs to be published as sheet music. It was also one of the first blues songs to be recorded, and it helped to popularize the genre of music. Handy continued to compose songs and to perform throughout his lifetime; he died in 1958 at the age of 84.

The Spread of the Blues

The blues began in the American South in the late 1800s. But it didn’t stay there. The blues spread throughout the country, to the cities of the North and West. While the blues began as music for African Americans, it soon became popular with all kinds of people.

The Blues in the North

The blues often spread from performer to performer, and from place to place, through a process of oral transmission. This was especially true in the early days of the genre, before recordings were widely available. Traveling performers would visit different cities and towns, and play for audiences in bars, clubs, and street corners. They would learn new songs from other performers, and adapt them to their own style. In this way, the blues continued to evolve and change as it spread across the country.

The blues first began to gain popularity in the northern states during the early 1900s. African American performer Mamie Smith recorded “Crazy Blues,” one of the first ever blues songs, in 1920. The recording was a hit, and helped to spark a resurgence of interest in the genre among black audiences. Blues music began to be played on radio stations across the country, and became increasingly popular with both black and white listeners.

By the 1930s, the blues had become firmly established as a major part of American popular culture. Performers like Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Robert Johnson were becoming household names, and their records were selling millions of copies. The blues had also begun to influence other genres of music, including jazz and country. The spread of the blues continued throughout the twentieth century, as performers like Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and B.B. King helped to bring the genre to new audiences around the world.

The West Coast

The West Coast, also known as the Pacific Coast, is a region that is home to a number of important cities in the blues scene. These include San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The West Coast has a long history of jazz and blues music, dating back to the early 20th century. The region’s proximity to Asia and its large population of immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Islands has also had an influence on the development of the blues in this region.

The Blues Today

The blues has been called the “true American music” because it is the only truly indigenous music genre to come out of the United States. The blues has its roots in African American culture, specifically in the Deep South, and African American musicians have been playing the blues since the late 19th century.

The Electric Blues

The electric blues began in the American South in the 1920s, when musicians began to experiment with amplifiers and other electrical devices. The electric blues sound is characterized by a heavy use of guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, as well as a wide variety of techniques, including slide guitar, boogie-woogie, and 12-bar blues.

The electric blues found its way to Chicago in the 1930s, where it became a staple of the city’s clubs and bars. In Chicago, the electric blues evolved into a style known as “Chicago Blues,” which was popularized by artists such as Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.

The electric blues continued to evolve in the 1940s and 1950s, with artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and B.B. King developing their own distinctive styles. The electric blues reached its peak of popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of “British Blues,” which was popularized by artists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Today, the electric blues is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to artists such as Joe Bonamassa and Jonny Lang.

The British Blues

The British Blues is a genre of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s, when British rock and roll bands began to directly copy American blues records instead of interpreting them. The style was led by a small group of English musicians who had been exposed to the music while living in the United States, including Cyril Davies, Alexis Korner, and Long John Baldry.

British Blues spawned a number of subgenres, including electric blues and rhythm and blues, as well as leading to the development of rock music. It also had an impact on the careers of a number of British musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Rod Stewart.