I Got The Blues Lesson by Kim Alessi

I Got The Blues In this project, students trace traditional African musical culture from its roots to the development of an African-American genre—the blues. Students decipher elements common to African and African-American music, craft lyrics, and create a standard 12-bar blues chord progression (I-IV-V) form. The intended result is to give students the opportunity to experience the creation of a truly American art form.

Author: Kim Alessi, Music, Technology, and Head Enrichment teacher Grade level: Upper Elementary and Middle School Curriculum areas: Language Arts, Social Studies, Music, Math

Project Overview After learning about traditional West African music and how it compares to American blues music, students learn the standard 12-bar blues form. Students fit stylized lyrics into a musical pattern containing 12 bars or measures, and then record their song in GarageBand.

Project Steps 1 Establish the historical context for this project by reviewing with the class the Triangle Trade of the 17th and 18th centuries and the plight of enslaved Africans on North American plantations. Have the class listen to and compare traditional West African music and American blues music, pointing out the common elements such as the use of polyrhythm, syncopation, and call and response vocal styles. 2 Discuss and analyze the structure of a 12-bar blues song, listening for a pattern in chord progression. (The pattern will be recurrent.) 3 Ask students to draw on paper 12 evenly spaced blocks, numbering them from 1 to 12 (representing the 12 measures of the 12-bar blues). Play a 12-bar blues pattern using blocked chords in root position. Have students listen and mark their paper next to the number that represents a measure where the chord changes. In the key of C Major, the chords for a 12-bar blues will be: C-C-C-C-F-F-C-C-G-F-C-C. 4 Review with students the process of writing lyrics for a 12-bar blues song. 5 Working in groups of three to five, have students write lyrics in verse-chorus to fit the repeated 12-bar blues pattern. 6 Have each group create a track in GarageBand, starting first with a 12-bar drum loop, then adding a bass line, and any other instruments or vocals they wish. The loop can be extended to lengthen the song. Instrumental and vocals sections can be copied and pasted to lengthen the song as well. 7 Have each group mix the song and then listen to each other’s creations as a class. Extension: Use iPhoto or iMovie to create a documentary of the blues as a musical genre. ©2004 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. For classroom use only.

I Got the Blues

Outcomes After completing this project, students will be able to: • Examine music in its cultural context • Understand how music is organized • Create and record an original piece of music modeled on the standard 12-bar blues form

Technology Skills After completing this project, students will be able to: • Organize music via a visual and aural interface • Visualize timbres (tone color) by examining timbres and sound waves • Use GarageBand for creating an original song, recording, mixing, and sound engineering

Assessment Suggestions Students can be assessed using the following methods: • Informally or formally quizzing students on historical data presented • Teacher and peer review of lyrics • Examining whether students followed the 12-bar blues pattern • Examining how students organized tracks in GarageBand

Preparation and Duration • It’s a good idea to have a completed GarageBand song as a model for students. • Students will need approximately five to ten 30-minute sessions, depending on student skills and age.

Tools and Resources Books Twelve Bar Blues by Patrick Neate Internet • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_bar_blues Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia, entry on 12-bar blues • http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2208/ Lesson plan for 12-bar blues • http://www.jazclass.aust.com/bl1.htm Online class on the blues • http://www.apple.com/support/garageband/ GarageBand resources from Apple • http://www.apple.com/education/music Apple digital music website

I Got the Blues

Music “Mali To Memphis: An African-American Odyssey,” Putumayo Presents (Series) Tools Macintosh computers, GarageBand, external microphone (optional), GarageBand Jam Pack (optional)

Prerequisite Skills Before beginning the project, students should have the following skills: • Experience with creative writing (poetry, stories, lyrics) • Ability to conceptualize musical patterns (rhythm, melody, harmony) • Understanding of musical form

Facilitation Tips • Present the historical and cultural material to the entire class and encourage discussion. Ask the following questions:“Why did African slaves ‘sing the blues’? How was the blues appropriated by others to become one of the most common musical styles in the world today? What pattern do you see in the 12-bar blues form? How did the blues as a style affect the development of jazz, rock, rap, and hip hop?” Invite students to play audio examples of their favorite music that contains elements of the blues. • Mix students of various abilities when possible.

Technology Tips • Students can use the Space bar to start or stop recording in GarageBand. • Students can visualize various tracks by color in GarageBand.