Is it the guitar or vocal lyric that makes a blues, song or is it the singers delivery
I offten wonder if the blues, is the sound of the crying guitar or blues piano or is it the words of the song, I feel the words/ lyrics is the real ellement behind any blues song, it's the feeling the singer puts into the delivery of the lyrics, for example, if I write the lyrics, "Well my girl friend don't love me nomore," it;s not the sentance that is the blues, is it the way the singer delivers it, I feel it true to say not all forms of music rely on singers to really live the lyrics through their vocals, if some one says to me theres a blues singer on tonight, I expect a heart felt feeling of sorrow and misery along with a beat that carries me through the song and story.
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Tags: blues, delivery, is, the, understanding, what
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by billy freedom on -
yeah its inflection on the voice but also the ability to sing blue notes, which is in 17 note scale. you cant really bend notes on a piano. so if like whitney houston starts wailing a solo, the piano usually stops because shes singing notes that dont exist on a piano. you can bend notes on voice, guitar, harmonica, saxophone. a piano can play pentatonic which is like the whole secret to jazz and japanese music. blues is more like arabic scale with quarter tones.
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Permalink Reply by Kourtney Dyan on -
Hey, Dave! I love this question.
I've heard people describe the blues as a lifestyle that bleeds into musical expression-- and I find that this definition works for my classification needs. ; )
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Permalink Reply by Dave Ciarella Murray on
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Thats is a great discription ,Kourtney, that sentance you gave is a song in it's self, Now here is my next strange question, is blues both a feeling and a happening, and do they need each other to be a true blues song, the reason I ask this is because when I write lyrics sometimes the story begins to write it's self, as if I'm no longer in control of it's direction or end, what is it i'm experienceing, is it my inner being recollects a passed situation, or is I ?????, , So Kourtney will it be true for me to say, " if I dont feel it, its not blues " cheers Mate Dave
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Permalink Reply by billy freedom on
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yes but not exactly i started with harmonica jews harp and (caveman) song bow. you literally sing through those instruments, and blues is easily recognized without any vocals at all. later i learned to slide those feelings on a string working it like a human voice.piano and drums simply cant do this.
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Cheers G Boogie, its a intesting statement that, colour and experession are major elements of the delivery that draw you in , I so agree, I see music and lyrics overall as waves of emotion rushing to the nerve ends of the listener to sitimulate reaction, be it good or bad, but more so in the blues, as the lyrics and beat of blues are the beating heart and sole of the pain and suffring of the singer asnd muscians deliverying the creation. cheers Dave
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Permalink Reply by R. J. Whetstone on -
The way the singer delivers the lyrics with sincerity and phrasing makes a big difference in whether I pay attention. I also listen for the actual tonality and timber which gives the expression a quality that is hopefully unique. Many people think they can sing, but don't have a quality or chops to transcend the ordinary.
Your mention of "living the lyric" is a good analogy. It takes talent to deliver lyrics with emotion and sincerity. In some cases, I've heard more emotion that the quality of lyric deserved.
Good lyricists have the ability to tell a story that a number of listeners can relate to. I would hope that they can communicate a story with emotion and authenticity on subjects that go beyond the scope of "sorrow and misery."
Maybe a Prozac warning to audiences should be required for those who only have this single dimension ;-)
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Permalink Reply by billy freedom on
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yeah i agree blues has never been depressing to me more like party good time music. ive recently came across taureg music in negeria these people wear blue and dye their skin permanently blue and are called the blue men. i think this may be the origin of both the style and name. check it out on youtube theyre really amazing. and back to cavemen sitting around campfires they more than likely had bows to maintain and strings to twist someone discovered biting on one end and pucking the string and singing.
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Cheers RJ, yes I agree the delivery and the phrasing do make the lyrics stand out, Now for the big question RJ, can this phraing be developed, or it a natural, reason I ask is ,I love the blues but always been a country singer, which of course again as its own phrasing and style and who would be te best artists to listen too, cheers Dave
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Permalink Reply by billy freedom on
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dave if you listen to african singing and blue grass hollers its the same thing same intonation. try a more countrified blues like carolina blues or florida blues which relies heavily on ragtime. and texas blues i suggest lightnin hopkins.
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Thanks Billy I will check lightnin hopkins out, the reason I am asking so many questions about the blues is I am getting more and more interested in writing and singing my own blues songs, but I want to do it right, I already know my blues is going to be a cross over of country and blues as thats the way I write , I always end up with strong lyrical stories. I aim to keep my blues it simple both in vocal and guiar or piano delvery, but still interesting with lots of picks and troughts in them, So Billy please do direct me to any good blues artists I should listen too, I aim to put my first self penned and performed blues song up soon, cheers Dave
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Permalink Reply by billy freedom on
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yeah alot of people dont even know about florida blues its very slow with tasty ragtime fills. check out tampa red, ray charles is another fine example (way slow) you can hear it in lynyrd skynrd, molly hatchet, even KC and the sunshine band (very tasty ragtime fills) its still played where i live despite everyone has tried to do the stevie ray sound and look since he passed into living forever. the florida blue grass bands still play it despite they think theyre playing country if you can catch a florida based blue grass band on youtube where dobro is played compare it to tampa red. many traveling florida bluesmen who were never signed often played banjo or ukelele. its a very high timber that leads well to a country blues crossover. find lightning hopkins take me back and give it a listen. oh i forgot pat travers another florida boy.
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Permalink Reply by Patti on -
It is the feeling and the music, they have to make a perfect match.....lyrics are relatively important in the blues but the feeling has to be there. To me this song is perfect!...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLi0dq0tOk
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