While “blues style” developed over time and had a variety of influences, many of the elements and stylistic characteristics we recognize today can be traced back to W.C. Handy's 1912 composition, "Memphis Blues". After the commercial success of the first public recording of blues music, "Crazy Blues" in 1920, the genre itself began to be viewed as marketable. These influential compositions provided a semi-standardized structure for not only blues music, but many other types of American popular music that came later. In this lesson, students will listen to historic recordings of these tunes, made by Katherine Handy Lewis (daughter of W. C. Handy), Mamie Smith, and Lizzie Miles. Through attentive and engaged listening experiences, they will become familiar with several common structural characteristics of blues music, such as 12-bar phrasing and chord progressions, blue notes, and blues scales.

Lesson Paths & Learning Objectives

1. The World Meets the Blues

   • Explain why W. C. Handy is sometimes called the "Father of the Blues".
   • Identify the first commercial recording of the blues and who recorded it.
   • Explain why the blues began to be viewed as marketable during the 1920s.
   • 20+ minutes

2. 12-Bar Blues Phrasing and the Blues Scale

   • Identify, identify, and explain 12-bar phrasing.
   • Identify and describe blue notes.
   • Identify and demonstrate notes in the blues scale.
   • 30+ minutes

3. Interpreting the Blues

   • Identify similarities and differences between two versions of "Memphis Blues".
   • Identify and demonstrate elements of blues music that have become somewhat standardized over time.
   • 20+ minutes