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Trimester 1, 2016

G1CS7 Critical Studies: Contemporary I

Theory
LECTURE 7
The Blues In Depth

The Blues
In this lesson:
Traditional blues
Blues melodies
Ladder of 3rds
Boogie Woogie
The blues form
R&B variations
Jazz blues
8 bar variations
Turnarounds
Delta blues influences

The Blues
As we have seen the blues developed from a diverse pool of
global musical traditions
It had a profound influence on the development of early
American musical styles such as jazz, ragtime and various
forms of American folk music
The influence and popularity of the blues continued into the
early 20th century, exerting its presence through the evolution
of tin pan alley, the jazz age and the swing era.
During and after the recording bans and boycotts of the
1940s the blues started to dominate popular music through
country music, Western swing and particularly rhythm and
blues
Its dominance continued through the rock and roll era, and
when it became fully electrified in the mid 60s, it began a
new phase of development, influence and popularity.

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The Blues
The Blues:
The tonic, subdominant and dominant chords of a blues
progression are all dominant seventh chords. These chords
can also be found in triadic form, as evident in early blues
tunes, however the b7 of each dominant chord forms an
important part of the blues sound and language.
The tonic chord determines the key signature of the blues
progression. For example, if the first chord is a G7, the blues
is in the key of G with one sharp as the key signature.
It is commonly known as a 12-bar form, however there are
standard 8-bar, 16-bar, 24 bar variations of the blues, and
many other types of variation and hybrids.

The Blues
The Blues:

Pentatonic Melody + Diatonic Harmony = Blues

At a fundamental level, blues melodies are the combination of

minor and major pentatonic melodies over tonic, subdominant
and dominant major chords. This results in a unique hybrid
melody-harmony relationship that depends on familiar functional
relationships, but goes beyond the constraints of a pure major
key system.
- Source: Mulholland, J. and T. Hojnacki. 2013. The Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony.
Berklee Press. p. 132

Blues Melodies
In lecture one we saw that blues melodic phrases are made
up of combinations of minor and major blues scales:
minor pentatonic + b5 = a minor blues scale
major pentatonic + b3 = a major blues scale
Also, an important feature in the melodic structure is the
ladder of 3rds with a particular emphasis on the minor 3rd
As blues mixed with other forms of popular music to
become rhythm and blues, and then rock and roll, there
became more emphasis on the major 3rd and the diatonic
aspects of the triads
This creates melodic patterns that are more diatonically
major and pentatonic
The minor 3rds, while still very important, become more
expressive devises rather than providing structure
particularly the b3 and b5

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The Ladder of 3rds

Therefore the ladder of thirds can give more
emphasis to the major triad, and often extends to the
major 6th and/or b7 or both:

Although the tensions from the ladder of minor 3rds are always
exerting influence in blues based music

The Boogie Woogie

The blues boogie is an early and very common
pattern:
Choo Choo ChBoogie

The Boogie Woogie

This pattern usually reflected in the accompaniment
as well:
Choo Choo ChBoogie

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The Boogie Woogie

All Shook Up Elvis

The blues form

Traditional 12 bar blues
I7
II G7 I % I % I % I
IV7 I7
I C7 I % I G7 I % I
V7 IV7 I7
I D7 I C7 I G7 I % II

The blues form

Traditional 8 bar blues
I7 V7 IV7
II G7 I D7 I C7 I % I
I7 V7 I7 V7
I G7 I D7 I G7 I D7 II

Key To The Highway Big Bill Broonzy 1940

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The blues form R&B variations

Choo Choo ChBoogie
A section: I7
II F7 I % I % I % I
IV7 I7
I Bb7 I% I F7 I % I
V7 I IV7 I
I C7 I % I F Eb7 I F II

B section: IV7 I7
II Bb7 I % I F7 I % I
IV7 V7
I Bb7 I % I C7 I % II

The blues form R&B variations

All Shook Up
A section: I
II Bb I % I % I % I
I
I Bb I % I % I % I
IV7 V7 I IV7 I
I Eb7 I F7 I Bb7 Eb7 I Bb7 II

B section: IV7 I
II Eb7 I % I Bb I % I
IV7 V7
I Eb7 I % I F7 I % II

The blues form - R&B variations

The minor or slow blues
I-7
II A-7 I % I % I % I
IV-7 I-7
I D-7 I % I A-7 I % I
V7 or subV7/V V7 I-7
I E7 or F7 I E7 I A-7 I % II

The Thrill Is Gone Roy Hawkins/BB King 1951

Loosin Hand Ray Charles 1953

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The blues form - R&B variations

Another slow blues
I7 IV7 I7 subV I7
II G9 I C9 I G9 Ab9 I G9 I
IV7 I7 II-7 III-7 bIII-7
I C9 I % I G9 A-7 I B-7 Bb-7 I
II-7 IV-7 I7 IV7 I7 V7
I A-7 I C-7 I G9 C9 I G9 D7(#5) II

Stormy Monday T-Bone Walker 1947

The blues form jazz blues

Jazz musicians, particularly the Be Bop generation of musicians began to expand
upon the harmonic content within the blues. They accomplished this by means
of II-7 V7 approach and the use of turnarounds.

I7 IV7 I7 V-7 V7/IV

IIF7 I Bb7 I F7 I C-7 F7 I
IV7 I7 V7/II
I Bb7 I % I F7 I D7b9 I
II-7 V7 I7 V7/II II-7 V7
I G-7 I C7 I F7 D7b9I G-7 C7 II
Blue Monk Thelonius Monk 1953
Route 66 Nat King Cole 1946

The blues form - 8 bar variations

I V7 I V7/IV IV IV-
II G I D7 I G G7 I C Cm I

I V7 I V7/IV IV IV- I subV7/V V7

I G I D7 I G G7 C Cm I G Eb7 D7 II
turnaround

Trouble In Mind Bertha 'Chippie' Hill 1924

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The blues form - 8 bar jazz blues

Georgia On My Mind
I V7/VI VI- II- IV-
II F I A7 I Dm I Gm Bbm I
I V7/II II-7 V7 I
I F D7 I G-7 C7 I F turn I around II

Georgia On My Mind Hoagy Carmichael / Ray Charles
1930

The blues form - 8 bar variations

8 bar blues / 50s progression
I V7/IV IV #IVdim7
II A I A7 I D I D#dim7 I

I VI- II-7 V7 I IV7 I V7

I A F#- I B- E7 I A D7 I A E7 II

turnaround
Need Your Love So Bad Little Willie John 1955

Turnarounds
Standard turnarounds Jazzy turnarounds
I V7 I V7/II II-7 V7
|C | G7 || |C A7 | D-7 G7 ||
I IV I V7 I VI7 V7/V V7
|C F | C G7 || |C A7 | D7 G7 ||
III-7 V7/II II-7 V7
Classic blues turnaround |E-7 A7 | Dmin7 G7 II
I V7/IV IV IV- I subV7/V V7 I V7/II II-7 subV7
|C C7 F F- | C Ab7 G7 || |C A7 | D-7 Db7 ||
I subV/II II-7 subV7
|C Eb7 | D-7 Db7 ||

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Delta Blues Influences

Mannish Boy Muddy Waters 1955
One chord, riff based song, a big influence on blues rock, rock, hard
rock and heavy metal

Case Study #1:

Traveling Riverside Blues Robert Johnson 1937
Rollin' and Tumblin Blues Hambone Willie Newbern 1929
Rollin' and Tumblin Muddy Waters 1950
Traveling Riverside Blues Led Zeppelin 1969

Case Study #2:

Crossroads Blues Robert Johnson 1936
Standing At The Crossroads - Elmore James 1929
Crossroads Cream 1966

Delta Blues Influences

King of the Delta Blues Singers
Robert Johnson
A compilation album by American blues
musician Robert Johnson, released in 1961
on Columbia Records.
It is considered one of the greatest and most
influential blues releases ever.
The Los Angeles Times wrote that Johnson's
recordings for the albums "revolutionized the
Mississippi Delta style that became the
foundation of the Chicago blues sound"
The Album contained Alan Lomaxs original 1936
recordings and inspired a generation of (mostly English)
developing rock musicians.

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