What is the Blues and do you know what it is when you hear it? What is R&B (Rhythm and Blues)? How does it all differ from Rock music? They all are distinct musical styles that, in fact, fuse together.
Blues. The blues has been attributed to a music genre created mainly in African-American communities in the South. It is characterized by what is called a twelve-bar blues where the chord progression is the first, fourth and fifth chord or note in the key.
There are many branches of the blues, Chicago blues, delta blues and swamp blues being some of them. The blues can probably be called the father of R&B and Rock Music. The music can best be characterized by the music of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and B.B. King.
The blues is even found in orchestral works such as George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blues” and “Concerto in F”.
R & B. In its simplest form, is blues with an up-speed tempo. Also called race music, the term was coined in 1948. Two of the performers and tunes who exemplified R&B in the 50s were Little Richard (Tutti Fruti, Long Tall Sally, and Lucille) and Chuck Berry (Johnny B. Goode and Roll Over Beethoven), although his distinctive guitar made his interpretation closer to what became rock music.
Rock Music. The person who straddled the line best between R&B and Rock was probably Elvis Presley. His recording of the old blues tune, “Hound Dog” might be considered one of the first rock and roll tunes. However, the song that is generally credited as being the first is “Rock Around the Clock” recorded in 1954 by Bill Haley and the Comets.
When the Beatles came along, they freely admitted that much of the influence behind their music was Chuck Berry and Elvis.
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