What are the Blues?

The blues arose from work songs of the slaves and the black field workers. The songs expressed the troubles of the poor. Instruments were inexpensive or homemade. The genre spread from the fields to rural gatherings to urban areas. The "classic" blues form consists of three phrases of four bars each and has a basic chord progression of I---IV-I-V7-I-. Lyrics in this form typically repeat the first phrase and have a contrasting third phrase. Often, humor and irony are used in the lyrics, resulting in a third-phrase punch line. As the blues became more accepted by mainstream society, the foxtrot developed and was danced to the music. Performers such as Louis Armstrong brought the blues influence into jazz. The blues are still popular today and have greatly influenced soul, rhythm & blues, and rock & roll.

Ma Rainey - Mother of the Blues

W.C. Handy - Father of the Blues