We have been learning about the blues. This type of music originated in the southern part of the United States and developed in the early 1900s from work songs and spirituals. We learned about some of the classic blues singers like Robert Johnson and Lightnin' Hopkins and we sang along to some of their songs to get a better idea of how the structure works. 'Hard Times Blues' is by Buddy Moss, and it talks about all the things that made his life difficult.

 

In the traditional form, a blues verse has three lines: the first two are the same, and the third is a line that rhymes with the first. We tried to think of topics with a sad theme, and we had to make sure our lines were long enough to fill the whole phrase of music. Once we'd finished writing the words, we decided on how the tune would move in each line. Then we practised performing together.

We performed our Blues Songs in the assembly but unfortunately the files are too big to upload onto our website. We also enjoyed a 'Blues' song performed by Mr Gray and Mr Kruse!