Playin’ the Blues With Your Little Birds
May 28, 2025The Blues is one music form that originated in America, with roots in African American Spirituals, work songs, and American folk music. Its style has influenced much of the modern music we have today.
African music is distinct for intricate and beautiful rhythms and melodies, often built on a pentatonic, or five-tone scale.
When the slaves listened at the windows of the white people’s churches, they heard something very different, which had its own form and beauty. They added some elements of this music to their beautiful and heartfelt Spirituals, to form The Blues. The Blues were known to bemoan lost love, sadness, and general unhappiness, and also to let all of it go with celebration, singing, dancing, and all kinds of instruments joining in, taking turns and playing together.
Some would say that Blues is the Granddaddy of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Rock ‘n Roll and Country/Western; while others would argue that it grew alongside these styles. Either way, the influence of the Blues has impacted Soul, Hip-Hop, punk, heavy metal, and has traveled the globe, impacting a lot of contemporary music.
In many of our Baby-Led Piano® classes we’ve been learning to play a Blues Shuffle. You can play this while your child plays Falling Falling Leaves, Little Car, Dinosaur, or while they play whatever their fingers feel like playing. They can even play drums while you play the piano!
Since the Blues and Jazz, which naturally follows, are best learned by listening, I’ve gathered a few fun things for you and your baby to listen to, so you can get them into your bones.
Have fun! Dance! Sing along! Tap to the beat!
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