The blues had a profound impact on early rock and roll. From the list below, choose one of the three pairs of songs that include one blues and one early rock and roll song each. Your task is to identify, list, and describe in as much detail as possible two musical elements (e.g., instrumentation, form, subject of the lyrics, or vocal delivery style) that the two songs in each pair have in common, and two elements where they differ.
Son House, “Walkin’ Blues” and Elvis Presley, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
The Genius Of
Walking Blues
Son House, Willie Brown, Fiddlin Jo
PREVIEW
EMs Pesley VJ. 01
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Elvis Presley
PREVIEW
• Charley Patton, “34 Blues” and Joe Hill Lguis, “Boogie in the Park”
34 Blues
Charley Patton
PREVIEW
THE LEGENDARY
SUN
CLASSICS
Boogie In The Park
Joe Hill Louis
PREVIEW
• Skip James, “Devil Got My Woman” and Goree Carter,
ck Awhile”
1. Instrumentation:
What instruments are used in the recording? Identify the instruments specifically by name and describe how they are used in instruments are played used as chich into the sinier? Are here solo breaks played by the instruments? Which
2. Form:
Review the Structure of Music lecture, the analysis of “I Got Rhythm” in the Broadway and Ragtime lecture, the 12-Bar Blues lecture, and verse-chorus from the Rhythm and Blues Crosses Over lecture to remember how composers use form to organize compositions. Additionally, there are many explanations of form in the Rural Blues, Urban Blues, and Other African American Roots of Rock lessons.
3. Subject of the lyrics:
Listen carefully to the lyrics of each song. Describe the subject of the lyrics in your own words.
4. Vocal style:
In your own words, be as descriptive and creative as possible when writing about the vocal style. There is no need to use musical terms. For example, if you think the voice is soft and gentle, or loud and yelling, use those terms. If you already know the musical terms ‘head voice’ and ‘chest voice’, use those terms.
5. Additional musical elements you may choose to write about:
tempo, dynamics, the sound quality of the recording, rhythm and rhythmic characteristics.
• Choose two style elements where the songs differ.
Choose two musical elements from the list above and discuss in detail how they are different in the two songs you are analyzing.
• Your finished essay will have a description of two style elements that are similar, and two style elements that are different in the two songs.
• Your essay should be about 500-700 words. If you write only 500
Proofread for proper grammar and correct spelling.
