After the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, “Field Holler” was sung by African-Americans instead of the work song in the deep south.

 

This was a musical shout that was sung by one or two black croppers.

 Field Holler was influenced by vocalism of the blues.

 

One of the oldest examples of that the word blues being associated with feelings of sadness appeared on December 14, 1862, the description in the diary of black woman Charlotte Forten who had born free in the North.

 

Though the definite date of the first appearance of the blues is still unknown, the American Congress officially declared in 2003 that 1903 was the year when the blues was born.

This is because it was the year when the African-American composer W.C. Handy, known as The Father of the Blues, incidentally saw a singer performing the blues during his travels in the Mississippi Delta.

In 1912, Handy published the blues music sheet “Memphis Blues”. 

Through Handy’s works, the basic structure of the blues such as its 12-bar lyric framework, its AAB pattern consisting of repetition in two lines and answer in the third line, and three chord progressions was brought to the masses. 

However, Handy’s blues are distinguished from the Southern acoustic blues.

Handy’s style was closer to Ragtime than the blues. 

 

Ragtime, or Ragged-time, is syncopated African-American music which peaked between the 1890’s and 1920’s.

 

Ragtime enjoyed great currency in New Orleans, Louisiana, where brass winds and lead instruments were traditionally played and Afro-Caribbean rhythms had much influence on the local music scene.

 

Ragtime eventually developed into jazz in New Orleans.

To Be Continued