The Basics of Blues

Some form of blues is heard in most popular music.

• True

• False

The blues scale means solfege notes including "mi, sol and ti" are often lowered 1/2 step to create a soulful, expressive sound common in pop music.

• True

• False

Blues is the basis of rock and roll heard and performed all over the world.

• True

• False

Blues began with former slaves who became sharecroppers around what time period?

• 1700s

• 1800s

• 1900s

• All of these

What is the difference between a chord and a scale?

• A chord is more than one note all sounded at the same time

• A scale are notes ascending or descending in order from "Do" to the next "Do"

• A chord are notes that usually skips every other note such as A-C-E.

• All of these

Blues and rock and roll usually contain:

• 12 Bars

• I- IV-V chords

• Blues scales

• All of these

Which line is correct for this blues song:

I gotta fight these problems facing me

I gotta fight these problems facing me

• A better life for my family is all I ever see

• A better life is up North where I'll go

• A better life is coming for me and my family now

• A better life is not sharecropping no more down here

Artists who performed pop music with little recognition for black artists that originally created it were called:

• Cover artists

• Mega stars

• Pop Robbers

• Boogie Thieves

A famous boogie woogie/rock n roll piano player discussed in class is:

• Michael Johnson

• Stevie Wonder

• Little Richard

• Elvis Presley

This "Busiest Man in Show Biz" used blues that helped to shape hip hop, soul music, rhythm & blues, and even dance steps of Michael Jackson:

• Duke Ellington

• Ed Sullivan

• James Brown

• Chris Brown