Music Genre of the Blues - Essay Example

Music Genre of the Blues Number) December 6, (Faculty) Music Genre of the Blues Every music genre lacks no audience. Sometimes we can be convinced into believing that music alone can put a smile on your face and heal your soul especially when it is a Blues music. It just has within it the power to do so. However, thinking of blues alone can trigger betrayal and misfortune thoughts. To be more succinct, assume you have lost your job without the hopes of getting another anytime soon, well that is when the blues come in. The Blues is one of the few genres capable of traversing a wide range of emotions of its audience. However, the Blues is not just bound to self-pity, it can be attributed to the expression of someones deepest feeling, triumph over bad luck and frustration then the induction of a bit of fun into lifestyle (Kopp, 2005). This study further purposes to explore the music genre of the Blues. Dating back to the origin of different kinds of music genre, it is quite clear that they came about as a result of coordination of collection of human lifestyle and movement. Contextually, we can attribute the origin of the Blues music genre to human movement and farming and also a product of their deepest expressions. The Blues itself means being sank in melancholy or being depressed. The genre came about as a result of expression of plight and predicaments by the African-American slaves. At such times the Africans were being subjected to work in the North American Colonies Plantations (BBC, 2014). Furthermore, the slaves dug deeper into their culture in order to characterize the genre by involving work songs, drum songs, field hollers and cants. However, it is imperative to acknowledge that this particular music genre of the blues was never invented by anyone specific and can thus the perceived as a communal creation. Censoring the Blues, most of its songs are made up of four bits in a bar, they also have three four-bar phrases with focus on 12 bar structure (BBC, 2014). The 1920s Blues are built upon 12-bar Blues form. It was during the late 1900s and early 1910s that the Blues songs came about (The people History, 2014/2015). During the times, racial discrimination was indubitably dominant and so the song artists employed the genre to express their experiences. Later on at the dawn of 1930s, the genre gained a heavy influence from the urban cultures with musicians such as Leon Carr and Scrapper Blackwell dominating (Mojohand, 2001). And when World War II ended, electrified equipment gained functionality in the Blues genre hence making it to live on. It is arguable that music is influenced by climate through which it thrives. This is an implication that the Blues was also shaped by outside factors besides its human architects. Music was effected in religious activities and Africans who practiced Christianity used it to propagate their spiritual religion. As the Europeans strived towards transforming African pagans into faithful Christians, it can to their attention that these Africans were exceptionally talented in music. If you are to influence someone onto doing something then it is always better and much easier to employ what they have and like (Cooney, 2010). Therefore, the Europeans used the African music to spread the gospel of Christianity amongst their target population. “This "spiritual" music was the first instance of African music adapted to the social environment of the New World…” (Scaruffi, 2003). Now let us dig deeper into the Blues origin. The origin of the genre can also be attributed to geographical factors as slave trade during the times of economic volatility and societal oppression. It was then political matters of subjects pertaining to Blues that led to its establishment. At such times, leaders of political movements called for the unification of their members into the forefront in support of the genre due to the absence of a room for personal strife in the Blues (Essentially Eclectic, 2015). This very genre is nothing less than a receptacle for outside influences. The contemporary society is dominated by several shades of the genre. Several performers have now joined into the fantasy of the blues and its reality. The varied forms are Jump blues, Boogie-woogie, Chicago blues, West coast Blues and traditional county just to mention a few (Kopp, 2005). Growth of the Blues was experienced in the Mississippi Delta and as a result the Rural Blues of Mississippi Delta came about hence the traditional county Blues. Surprisingly, the Blues remain to a genre whose features do not seem altered since its birth, even despites the integration of sound and sheen of urban soul. This can explain why its 12-bar form still remains unaltered. Other features that seem unaltered include variations of its progressive chord and emotive lyrical content. Modern Blues is something we cannot afford to ignore. It is just so interesting that the Blues made it to the modern world and is still firmly attached to the ground. However, one question that we must ask ourselves besides the transformation in the nature of the music is whether its new artists are any different from the fathers of the genre. At times purists just dismiss modern blues as imitators. The truth of the matter as it appears is that the modern artists are combining innovation and modern sensibilities while at the same time not dismissing the genres past. This is one way through which the classic agents of the Blues can never be forgotten. The genre today is being consumed by many due to its ability to induce and engage a myriad of emotions. We could thus perceive it to be a humanistic kind of genre. But what is it that makes the Blues to live on and be of service to centuries? Perhaps it is dues to its distinct uniqueness with a great sense of rhythmical inspiration. The popularity of the Blues is quite easy to recognize, for instance, consider the dissonant sound of seventh chords. This is probably the easiest way to recognize it. In the blues you can never miss out something for yourself no matter what author or genre you chose. And in line with this some regard it as a sad music, not bad, but sad. Furthermore, the Blues is a music that cannot be easily corrupted by the features of other genre and even though some confuse it with Jazz music, it is essentially a music in its own league and different altogether. Elliott (2013) affirms that "Nearly every style of music we listen to today can be traced back to the blues in one way or another. Oddly enough, while even the blues has changed its sound a little over time, it has largely stayed intact to its roots." The Blues musicians surely deserve credit for their work. This study has extensively explored the Blues music genre and revealed how it is a masterpiece in the music industry. The areas covered by the study include the history of the music, its influence, features as well as what makes it still alive. It is the basis upon which the larger part of our music industry is built. Generally the music has inspired and gained interest amongst many people in the whole world. However, it is still being produced at large by American artists in owner of their fathers. Furthermore, this study is not a conclusion than the Blues genre is liked and listened to by everyone on the world. Of course everyone as their own taste of music, plus there are also critics who perceive otherwise with regards to the music, those who disapprove of its worthiness. All in all, the Blues still has a role to play, just like any other music genre hence music lacks no audience. References BBC, (July, 2015), Music: Origins of the blues. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/popular_music/blues2.shtml Cooney, N. (2010), Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change? Lantern Books Eliot, M. (May, 2013), Essential Listening - The Sound of the Blues. Envato Tuts, Retrieved from http://music.tutsplus.com/articles/essential-listening-the-sound-of-the-blues--audio-18025 Essentially Eclectic, (2015), The Blues: A Case Study on the Influence of ‘Outside’ Factors in Shaping Music Genre. Essentially Eclectic Music for Essentially Electric Times. Retrieved from:https://essentiallyeclectic.wordpress.com/the-blues-a-case-study-on-the-influence-of%E2%80%98outside%E2%80%99-factors-in-shaping-music-genre/ Kopp, E., (2005), A Brief History of The Blues. All About Jazz, Retrieved from: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-edkopp.php Mojohand, (2001) What is "the Blues"? A Brief discussion of the definition of blues music. Mojohand.com Delta Blues store - blues t-shirts, delta blues stickers and posters. Retrieved from: http://www.mojohand.com/bluesdefinition.htm. Scaruffi, P. (2003) A brief history of Blues Music: Blues Music. Retrieved from: http://www.scaruffi.com/history/blues.html The People History, (2004/2015) Music Played in the 1960s Popular Music from the 60s. The People History Where People Memories and History Join Retrieved from: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/20smusic.html Read More