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Bluegrass Vocals Lessons: Introduction to the Blues 1: The Blues Form, Call & Response

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[MUSIC]
So we're gonna now start talking

about the blues and blues form.

This is such an important part of American
music and you really can't deal with

bluegrass or country music, or swing, or
jazz without also dealing with the blues.

So and some songs in bluegrass just
straight up use a classic blues form and

almost all melodies as we've
been exploring a little bit so

far, use blues phrasing.

So it's really can't avoid it and
it's just a beautiful music form.

Now the blues form we're gonna start,

there's kind of a standard blues
song form and it's perhaps the most

iconic American song form and
the typical blues has three lines.

So it's a 12-bar progression.

So each line generally has four
measures and the lyrics to the first

two lines are repeats, and
then the third line is a response.

The blues form itself is sort of
another embodiment of the call and

response that we're talking about earlier.

The blues form is meant
to be sort of easy and

spontaneous, and
communicate feeling, and the moment.

There are several variations on
the form and we'll learn some examples,

but I wanna start with
just the classic form G.

So the first line would be all one.

So one.

[MUSIC]
Second line goes

to the four chord.

[MUSIC]
Back to the one.

[MUSIC]
Third line goes to the five chord.

[MUSIC]
And back to the one.

[MUSIC]
And there are great blues lyrics and

we are going to learn some of them.

But again, it's just really the most
of the heart of the matter style-wise

is to make up something based on your
experiences or how you are feeling.

[MUSIC]

Same

line.

[MUSIC]
So that's off

the top of my head and

it's really meant to just.

There's so many blues songs that

the stereotypical thing
is to start out with.

[MUSIC]
Whatever you just kind of.

[MUSIC]
Yeah,

that's sort of goofy but

again off the top of your head is fine.

So anyhow, back to that lady of call and
response within the blues.

Again, there are really two ways that
call and response kinda works itself in.

One is again, the lyrical call and

response whereas you have
the first line of lyrics.

This then repeated and then the last
line of lyrics is a response to that.

It just kind of finishes the thought and
then the other is that,

and there's plenty of space
at the end of each line.

So.

[MUSIC]
So within each line,

there's the vocal and

then there's

an instrumental

response usually.

So it's a good, good,
good place to put in some licks or

strums to kinda comment on the melody.

So anyhow, your assignment is to
make up your own blues song and

I want you to submit a video.

I want to see everyone's spontaneous blues
song where you just tell it like it is.

It could be goofy.

It could be serious.

It can be sort of mournful.

Now, the blues can be kind of playful.

But talking about I have
the blues that means you're sad.

But the nature of the blues form is
that it's often like stating something.

Thing kind of sad or troubling but
then kind of provides some up lift or

some resolve, but
you can go anyway you want with it.

So yeah, submit a video on
this set of chord changes.

You can use the recordings that provided
value recordings to sing along with or

you can strum along if you want
to accompany yourself, but

I want you to practice making
up spontaneous blues forms.

And you can just kind of walk
around whatever you're doing or

thinking over the course of the day,
I would make up a blues song about it.

So tell it like it is.

[MUSIC]

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