About Blues
The Blues emerged from the secular African-American folk music of the Deep South, drawing from traditions such as work songs and field hollers. Characterized by its emotive vocals, expressive "blue notes" (flattened 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees, often expressed through bent notes on the guitar or in vocal inflections), and a common call-and-response pattern, it often features a distinctive chord progression, such as the widely recognized 12-bar form. Lyrically, the Blues frequently explores themes of hardship and injustice in life and love.