LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to do the following:

Describe the musical landscape in which blues-derived music developed.
Describe various aspects of the Jim Crow laws and their impact on African American society.
Describe the antecedent musical genres that impacted the development of the blues.
Define the term blues.
Explain why W.C. Handy is affectionately referred to as the “Father of the Blues.”
Illustrate the textual and musical form—three-line structure—of the blues.
Name blues compositions/performers from the three broad stylistic categories—Country, Classic, and Urban blues—and their respective contributions.

Listening Activity: “Viola Lee Blues”

Listening Activity: See how many instruments you can recognize in the “ Viola Lee Blues♫ ” played by the Cannon’s Jug Stompers. The list below shows a partial list of unusual instruments found in blues-band performance.

Banjo
Guitar
String Band
- Fiddles
- Banjos
- Guitar
- Mandolin
- String bass
Jug Band
- Crockery
- Jugs
- Household washboard
- Toy instruments
- Harmonicas
- Banjos

Whistler’s Jug Band

Sterling Brown

You can’t play the blues until you have paid your dues

Sidney Bechet

The blues like spirituals were prayers. One was praying to God; the other was praying to man.