area of study 3 - blues

Question 1

important musicians

Answer 1

Bessie Smith
Blind Willie Mctell
Big Bill Bronzy

Question 2

intruments

Answer 2

harmonica
voice
piano
violin
banjo
double bass
guitar
(pre-electronic instruments)

Question 3

blues scale

Answer 3

set of notes used in blues music

Question 4

blue note

Answer 4

notes that make the blues scale ‘blue’ (in c major - Eflat, Gflat and Bflat)

Question 5

12 bar blues

Answer 5

the chord sequence typically used in blues music

Question 6

16 bar blues

Answer 6

an extended version of the 12 bar blues

Question 7

shuffle beat

Answer 7

often used in blues and rock, beat comes in 3s

Question 8

swung

Answer 8

a blues rhythmic feel

Question 9

improvisation

Answer 9

playing unplanned, unwritten music

Question 10

portamento

Answer 10

musical slides between notes whilst singing

Question 11

walking bass

Answer 11

a repetitive crotchet melody outlining the chord sequence

Question 12

riff

Answer 12

short repeated note phrase

Question 13

scat singing

Answer 13

vocal improvisation, without forming words

Question 14

call & response

Answer 14

question and answer

Question 15

vamp

Answer 15

chord pattern

Question 16

finger style guitar

Answer 16

no strumming, no pick being used, using fingertips to pluck strings

Question 17

syncopated

Answer 17

playing off beat

Question 18

mellisma (mellismatic)

Answer 18

two or more notes per syllable

Question 19

falsetto

Answer 19

a false sound, normally a register above your vocal range

Question 20

AAB phrase

Answer 20

when the fist set of lyrics is sang twice and then another sang the 3rd time

Question 21

slides

Answer 21

slides between notes on an instrument