Joel


 * BLUES MUSIC**

Blues music is a genre that was derived from the southern parts of America such as Texas and Florida in the late 19th century. It is heavily linked with African-American cultures and is thought to have come from the term 'blue devils' which means melancoly or sadness. There are several characteristics that define blues music, these are 12 Bar Blues chord progressions, Dominant 7th chords and the blues scale. A 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression is a song structure that became popular in blues music, it is built around the first, fourth and fifth chords of the major scale. Blues music also uses what is called Dominant chords, this is easily heard as it is what most blues chord are built upon. The dominant is known as the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale and is the second most important note behind the tonic of the chord/scale. All these characteristics build together making blues music a highly distinctive and listenable genre. Blues soloing is usually based around the blues, pentatonic, major and minor scales. To add variety, many artists will solo in what is known as the relative minor key. The relative minor is the sixth note of the major scale of the original key. The main difference in both keys is that they share the same key signature but have a different tonic. By adding the relative minor key into the solo, it adds a different sound that, as the name suggests, a minor sound compared to a major. There are several genres that are linked to blues music, these include Jazz, Bluegrass, R&B and Rock music. Each of these genres differ from each other and are unique in terms of style and influences. It is a notable fact that many of the scales used in blues are also commonly found in Jazz, Bluegrass and Rock music, these scales are known as pentatonic, major scales and minor scales. Within the Blues genre, there are several other branches of blues. These branches are heavily influenced on where they originate from and include, Texas Blues, Chicago Blues, Boogie-Woogie, Delta Blues, and country blues. Each branch of blues has certain characteristics that depend on what scales, chords and techniques are used along with style of lyrics as this was a fair indication of life from where the artist was from. Blues music has seen many majorly influential artists rise to fame, for example Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King, Joe Bonamassa and John Mayer.

The following are some of the greatest Blues guitarists and musicians of all time, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan and BB King.



The Following are instruments that are common within Blues music. They are Fender Stratocasters, Fender Telecasters and a Gretsch Vibrato Hollow Body. Both these Guitar Brands originate from the Southern US, although Gretsch was made by a German Immigrant Friedrich Gretsch in America in 1883. Fender is an all American guitar brand, and were the first brand to commercially distribute Solid Body Electric Guitars to the world, as other companies in the early 20th century such as Gretsch and Rickenbauer specialised in making what are known as Hollow Body Guitars. Whilst Fender and Gretsch are both American Brands, there are various models that are made in Mexico, China, and Japan. These models do not quite live up to the standard of American Built Guitars that are built in Nashville, but still are finely built guitars. The main differences between American built guitars and those built elsewhere varies from the pickups, the intonation, and whether the neck is made out of ebony, maple or rosewood, Maple being then the nicer toned wood you can get.



The Following are several Albums that are well recognised as some of the Greatest Blues albums of all time. They are Stevie Ray Vaughans 'Texas Flood', Robert Johnsons 'King of the Delta Blues Singers' and Blind Gary Davis 'Harlem Street Singer'. Each of these albums is seen as majorly influential in inspiring the further generations of blues music to come through their various song writing techniques and unique style.

The Following 5 Songs are prime examples of Blues music, i have thoroughly analysed and listened to these songs and reported the main features and characteristics of each song in detail.

John Mayer - Something like Olivia - Key of song is in G - Ensemble is made up of 7 different instruments, vocals, bass, 2 guitars, synthesizers, backing vocals and drums. - Timing of song is 4/4 - Verse consists of G and E/C - Intro of song constists of 4 bars - Verse consists of 8 bars. - Chorus consists of 2 bars. - Guitar is played using broken down blues chords. - Verse lyrics consist of a repeated line, which is followed by the chorus. 'Well Olivia is taken, but a look like hers can be found from time to time...well Olivia is taken, but a look like hers can be found from time to time' which then leads into the chorus 'Im thinking something like Olivia could, keep me through the night.' - Synthesizers are used to create interest in the second verse. - Solo is a blues pentatonic in G. Barely any use of the relative minor key throughout the solo. - Solo is accompanied by vocalised harmonies, which do 'oooooh' thoughout the solo. - Solo is followed by the third verse of the song, of which turns into the coda. - Coda is repeated lyrics 'something like olivia'

media type="custom" key="26276056"

Everyday i have the blues - Song is performed by a trio, which includes John Mayer playing lead guitar and lead vocals, Pino Palladino on the bass and backing vocals and Steve Jordan on the drums. - Song is built around a 3 chord progression in C - Chord progression is built around chords 1, 2 and 4 in the major scale. - The chords used in the progression are all minor 7ths. - After 4 bars in the intro where the chords are loud and unmuted, variety is added with palm muted chords along with John Mayer playing licks. - Bass repeatedly plays C thoughout the song, rarely ever changes. - Consists of 8 bars, variation between the chord pattern and a blues pentatonic lick come in after 6 bars. - Timing of the song is in 4/4 - First verse is 16 bars long, is followed by a solo which is based around the blues pentatonic scale in C - Mayer creates interest by playing a sweep picking lick in the intro, along with little blues licks throughout the verse. - These little blues licks come in between the vocals that are sung between. - The Length of the solo is 36 bars, which uses a 12 bar blues chord progression.

media type="custom" key="26276088"

Lenny - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Song is made up of 3 musicians, guitar, bass and drums. - Intro of song is two chords that are rung out. Vibrato is used as the chords ring out. - The bass players implements a walking bass line into the song, which creates variation and interest from the electric guitar player. - These two chords, E and A make up the main basis of the song. - SRV uses pinch harmonics in the intro, causes a high pitched glassy sound to occur. - The intro of the song repeats twice before the drums and bass accompany the guitarist. - The intro of the song consists of both strummed chords, vibrato, pinch harmonics and slide pentatonic licks. All of which create variaton of the song and make it more interesting. - There are several solos within the song, each of which are based around the pentatonic in E, the blues pentatonic, and the minor scale. Apart from the two main chords of the song, there is a link within the song, which starts on A, and progesses on the Bb and B and C. - The guitarest is the main feature of the song. - The song song is an instrumental, with the guitar being used to create all the interest. The Drummer in the band plays a 4/4 time signature, which lighly features in the backround to keep the timing. In terms of percusssion, the main instrument heard is the ride cymbals, there is not much bass, kick or snare heard throughout the piece at all.

media type="custom" key="26276098"

Cold Beverage - G Love and Special Sauce. - Consists of a 3 piece band, that plays guitar, bass and guitar. - This blues song has a mix of reggae, RnB and Bluegrass mixed in with it, it is describe as 'slack blues' because of its untraditional song structure. - Percussion thoroughly features steal toms, along with snare and kick-drum. - Guitar has a clean tone in the amp, and plays a finger picked riff that continues throughout the whole piece. - Has an RnB styled rap - Guitar chords are dominant 7th chords that give a tangy and light sound to song. - Vocalist never really sings but mainly talks throughout the songs. - Guitar plays a repeated riff throughout verse, which then progresses into straight chords in the chorus. - Interest is created through achieving cut outs of all instruments except for drums, such as in the the third and final verse of the song 'I like cold beverage when im fishing, lets keep one thing clear. The baits over there and the brews right here. Two six packs and bag of ice. Didn't even catch a bite but the brew tasted nice.' - Bass plays a walking bass line that is common in blues.

media type="custom" key="26276108"

Don't Burn Down that Bridge - Joe Bonamassa - Song is played in the key of F# - The Joe Bonamassa song has characteristics of texas blues, along with rock. - The song is played in 4/4 timing. - This song is played by a three piece band, drums, bass, while Joe Bonamassa plays lead guitar and lead vocals. - The song starts with a bar of just drums, which counts in the band. - The main guitar riff is fast, upbeat, and has strong elements of rock guitar introduced into it. - The Bass guitar plays the exact same notes as the electric guitar and rarely changes. - The verses off the song bring a call and response type structure where the guitar riff plays in between the vocals. 'You got your mind set on leaving, trapped down a one way street.' Guitar riff 'You gonna lock up all the doors child, and throw 'way the key.' Guitar riff. - The guitar solo is played in the pentatonic scale and minor scales and includes several varying types of picking that include speed picking, sweep picking and alternate picking. - Following the solo comes a complete instrumental of the song which heavily features the bass player of the band. This solo features blues licks which are played at incredible speeds for a bass player, the bass line involves techniques such as slides, hammer ons, and pull ofs which implement a radical blues riff which adds a vast amount of variety to the song. - The outro of the song introduces an all in jam within the song, which is a buildup to the end of the song.

media type="custom" key="26276136"