Music News - The Blues

The 1800s represents one of the darkest times in human history having slavery and oppression of Africans. Among many African Americans there was a desire to move away from musical forms such as spirituals, which were identified with slavery days, and yet they also wanted musical styles of their own. A new sound arose in street and community music of African Americans in the late 19th century known as ‘The Blues’. It was usually one singer accompanied by a guitar and characterised by “bent” or “blue” notes, not on the standard scale. These notes likely had earlier origins, as they are found in rural African work songs.

The Blues is known as the mother of all music as it is from the blues that genres such as Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll and all other genres were developed from. The Year 8 students have been learning the musical features of this genre and are working on playing the 12-bar blues progression on the piano.

Miss Kihuha