Instruments used in Blues Music

By | April 4, 2021

Acoustic guitar

Acoustic guitar is one of the most common instruments in blues music. Acoustic guitars were widely available in the early days of the blues of the 1920s, making them available to poor peasants or works that would shape the sound of the blues. These instruments were light, easy to play and could provide easy accompaniment for blues singers. The only known images of the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson show that he holds a well-kept acoustic guitar.

Harmonica

The harmony was a cheap and portable instrument that made it particularly attractive to blues musicians. Unlike guitar or piano, the accordion did not need players to learn complex chords or fingering, they just needed a good understanding of the accordion’s tone structure and a good set of lungs. Harmonos were also available in different keys, making it easy to adapt to almost any song or vocal area.

Piano

Although the piano is also used in blues music, it kept in order of magnitude and availability to become popular among early blues musicians. As blues music moved from the fields and courtyards to the ordinary, the piano found its place along with acoustic guitar and other popular blues instruments. Its wide tonal range and ability to give both bass and melody sharp at the same time a place for the piano in modern blues music. Louisiana-born Professor Longhair is one of the most famous blues pianists.

Electric guitar

In the 1940s, the growing popularity of electric guitars on blues music grew with the introduction of Chicago blues, which strongly incorporated the electric guitar sound. This style of blues is now the most common sound in the blues music genre, with acoustic blues often called Mississippi or Delta blues. Chicago-style blues guitarists typically favor the Fender Stratocaster or Gibson ES-335 for their bright, forced sound and playability.

Resonator guitar

The resonator guitar, often called the Dobro, was introduced in 1927 and quickly became popular with blues musicians for its ability to project sound over other instruments. The resonator guitar was basically an acoustic guitar made of metal or wood with a sound cone that helped focus and amplify the sound. It is also popular with blues slide guitar players for its high-string performance and the ability to play like an acoustic guitar or lie flat like a steel guitar. Blues music has a distinct sound, which is often the result of the instruments that musicians use to play it. In the early days of the blues, artists often used simple, inexpensive instruments to express themselves.

Source:danspela.com