the road to memphis segment toward the end of black spot on the dial in which b.b. King's performance shows the aab form borrowing from the blues the road to memphis sam phillips segment origins of the blues feel like going home introductory exercise this exercise explores song elements and looks closely at the blues song format. Ask students to bring the lyrics of a favorite song to class reminding them beforehand what appropriate and inappropriate choices would be. Start by discussing the lyrical parts of a song: verses 151 in a song, a verse is a group of lines that constitutes a unit similar to verses in poetry. Typically, a song consists of several verses, and the rhyme scheme and rhythm are usually the same from verse to verse. Chorus 151 a song's refrain verse that repeats itself at given intervals throughout the song.

As you discuss, demonstrate the parts on an overhead projector using a song with which students are familiar. Once students comprehend the parts, ask them to identify the parts of the song lyrics they brought to class, pointing out that not all songs contain all parts. Mention that blues songs, like many other songs, conform to standard song structure in some ways while varying in others. Once the class has heard the entire song, transcribe the lyrics on the board in prose rather than verse form, filling in where student gaps exist. Where would the line breaks be? where would the verse breaks be? the first verse of the final product should look like: inform students that this format, known as the aab blues format, is typical of many blues songs. The first line often presents an idea or issue, the second line repeats it perhaps with a slight variation , and the third line develops or resolves the idea presented in the first and second lines.

To further illustrate this blues form, show the segment black spot on the dial from the road to memphis in which b.b. Can illustrate how the aab form is by no means the exclusive song format of the blues. Focus exercise floating verses 151 the same lyrics or phrases used in more than one blues song 151 are very common in blues music. To illustrate the notion of floating verses, ask students to read the lyrics of two blues songs: i believe i'll dust my broom 1936 by robert johnson and dust my broom 1951 by elmore james.

Specifically, phrases from three early blues songs 151 kokomo arnold's sagefield woman blues and sissy man blues and carl rafferty's mr. Illustrate this idea by watching the segment sam phillips in the film the road to memphis. Research and analysis assign students to research the history of the blues, focusing on both the music from which the blues emerged field hollers, work songs, spirituals, and country string ballads as well as early blues performers.

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When students have been given adequate research time, the class can hold a forum in which these issues are discussed. Blues lyrics, in addition to often following the aab blues format, frequently tell a story. This exercise encourages students to consider the storytelling feature of the blues while allowing them to write their own blues song in aab blues format. Next, identify how the song conforms to the aab blues format, with the first two lines in the verse being the same and the third, different the a line presents an issue, while the b line presents the conclusion. Give students a few minutes to brainstorm a short story about which to write their own blues song. Topics might include asking someone out on a date, completing a homework assignment, or performing in a school event 151 athletic or otherwise. Record the song's first verses on the board: well now, it's three o'clock in the morning and i can't even close my eyes.

Assign students to change the last line of the verse to a line corresponding with the story they want to tell. A student creation might read: well now, it's three o'clock in the morning and i can't even close my eyes. Next, encourage them to move further away from the original in another rewriting of the verse. This time, the verse might read: well now, i woke up early this morning and my eyes were burning with pain. Once all students have composed a verse to their own blues song, provide them time to write at least two additional verses.

When class members all have their verses written, ask them to post their lyrics up in the classroom. Invite students to read the work of their classmates, borrowing lines that they particularly like from one another's work and incorporating these lines into their own songs. Inform students that borrowing lines, a concept further explored in the focus exercise. Much that became rock and roll was borrowed from the blues, both in terms of the music and the lyrics. To have students consider the lyrical legacy of the blues on popular music, ask them to complete a side by side comparison of blues song lyrics and popular song lyrics from the same era, taking examples from the 1950s, 1970s, and today. The following checklist of blues song elements can serve as a guide for assessing each song: best answer it is easy to write the lyrics for blues if you keep the following things in mind: blues generally begin with ‘woke up this morning’. If you really cannot avoid it and want to begin the blues with ‘i got a good woman’, follow it up immediately with something bad such as ‘with biggest belly in town’.

Repeat the line twice and then write a third line that ends with almost a rhyming word. Now, it may read like this – ‘i got a good woman with biggest belly in town, i got a good woman with biggest belly in town, she has legs of an elephant and weighs 500 pounds’. You will hardly ever find colors like ‘violet, beige and mauve’ being mentioned in blues as it is difficult to find rhyming words for them.