英文论文蓝调.doc

Blues
Since the early 20th century, blues music which originated in the soul music of African-American slaves was popular in the southern United States. Blacks were sold as slaves to the farm to do heavy work. They longed for home and cried the misfortunes. They sang their own songs with a local accent. The earliest blues was produced. This is a particular type of music. Just as its name, a unique sense of depressed was deeply hidden in the melody.
Blues is very focused on self-emotional catharsis, improvisation and originality. This music is very charming. It has a large impact on later American and Western popular music. “What remains indisputable is the historical fact that the blues was developed entirely by the black American. Both audience and player alike were black for that gestation period. But it is a myth that the black players have abandoned the pure blues in favor of the more modern type such as R&B and Rap.” White players came later, some of them tried to mix it with rock & roll, pop and country music, while the other people faithfully covered gems of the classic blues repertory. Regardless of the skin color or something else of the players who made contribution to it, it is universally recognized that blues is black music. Many excellent white musicians have chosen blues as their primary vehicle of expression just like the great black players. And it is interesting that “Purists insist that blues is an African-American cultural expression, inaccessible in essence to the white practitioner. The opposition points to the universal spectrum of feelings –from sadness to joy that blues expresses.”
The most common form of blues is AAB. Generally it includes several sections and each section composed of three phrases. The first two phrases have the same structure and melody. Sometimes there will be a slight change in the content. The third sentence’s melody is different from the first two.[1] About blues tone, people call the major scale which down to three or down to seven blues tuning under the theory of music style and mode. When the singer perform the song, he’ll lower chromatic somewhere. Blues singers often perform at such a fixed mode in the show. Blues music consists of fixed harmony so singers are familiar with it. And then they are free to change chords. About accompaniment, it’s more complex. Not only use the original guitar or banjo, now they can use a small band, acoustic microphone and piano, etc. Some artists also developed a rough and without modification style of singing. This style presents an obvious contrast against the style of white pop songs. These characteristics of music lay a deep imprint on blues music. Later, they adds unique saxophone instrument in it. Blues become more intense and inspiring.
After the civil war, African-Americans found that even if their dream has come true – they got personal freedom, their lives were still full of suffering, and they continued to suffer discrimination and exploitation. Living in the margins of the society and became “invisible”. Blues of this period began to slowly mature; they were mostly the theme of the confused in front of the so-called freedom. But as blacks entered the war, the black population migration and changes in social status, the social status of black music has also changed. Big record companies became interested in black music. Changes in social status of black music directly reflected in 1949. Jerry Wexler, a famous person of Billboard renames the “race music” with blues. The nineteen sixties was the golden age of blues. The civil rights movements brought this art a new chance. A number of well-known blues musicians were born. Blues has always been an important part of African-American music, which enables people to observe the rich cultural heritage of the black community. Then, blues began to try to add musical instruments in the development process. Black jazz music also changed because of blues. The two have many similarities. Today, the music anthropologists believe that the vocal style of blues is mainly from the field shouting. Its approach has been used in various genres of black music. African American writer Ralph Ellison sees a way to show the philosophy of life in blues music. And the music can comfort the injured heart. For blacks, it’s also a way of againsting racial discrimination.[2]
Blues music produced in the country which has already reached a consensus in the music circle. Not difficult to find, the village plantation is the first place for blacks to give performances.[3] The experts pointed out that slaves had no education, but they were born with the ability to feel the music. Blues is like a melancholy gentleman. He’s elegant and honest. He’s eager to love, at the same time; he’s full of personal sentimental mood. With the upsurge of the civil rights movement, black who own black consciousness turned into gospel music. Blues was like a melancholy poet in the eyes of the revolutionary. It should only hurt themselves and not suitable for the people’s resounding unity. Chicago blues is like the silhouette of the migration of black for hundreds of years. Also host to so many immigrants from South, New York or California never form a similar type of music like Chicago blues. These street singers who wear guitar write a piece of dark legend about their life. The most famous blues musician was B.B.King. He tried to add the electric guitar and amplifier to enhance audio. In 1950s, this style has been recognized by many white musicians. About 10 years later, Eric Clapton made blues flourished. At the same time, R&B music gradually rising and accepted by white musicians. Elvis Presley and Bill Haley put R&B into rock. Famous British band Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin also started from blues music and then they joined the heavy metal rock & roll. Today, Blues music has been incorporated into the ranks of mainstream music. But traditional Blues is still powerful. Famous musicians in this area were John Lee Hooker, Etta Baker and Buddy, etc.
Through with the fusion of blues and other music, the modern blues has lost the original simple; it’s the main form of expression of American music culture. It completely expresses the human spirit in a specific period. Blues is of great foundation stone value to the aesthetic image of American music culture.

Reference:
[1] Chen Mingdao, Heartbreakers songs: American black blues.[J].1999.
[2] Xiong Xiaohui , The aesthetic value of blues for the American culture [M].
[3]Meng Ping, Blues singers—The blues features in ”The bluest Eye”