rhythm and blues

R&B diverged from traditional blues songs by expanding beyond the typical blues song-structure – twelve bars, an A-A-B verse pattern, and a one-four-five chord progression – to use widely varying chord progressions and often, distinct and unique melodies.

What is the blues? The blues is a form of secular folk music created by African Americans in the early 20th century, originally in the South. Although instrumental accompaniment is almost universal in the blues, the blues is essentially a vocal form.

Coined by music journalist Jerry Wexler in 1947, the term rhythm and blues, or R&B, has been applied to a number of different types of African American popular music. It originally described an urban music style that grew out of the blues in the period after World War II.

Soul music is R&B music with an even stronger influence from African-American gospel than standard R&B. It's the soul-shouting, call and response, melismic, high-emotion sounds of Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, The O'Jays and more. It is essentially secularized gospel.

The first rock and roll hits consisted of rhythm and blues songs like Rocket 88 and Shake, Rattle and Roll, which appeared on popular music charts as well as R&B charts. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, the first hit by Jerry Lee Lewis, was an R&B cover song that reached #1 on pop, R&B and country and western charts.

Rhythm and blues soon sparked its own variant in the mid-1950s: rock 'n' roll. This style was like rhythm and blues, only louder, more sexualized, and with more emphasis on the electric guitar. Unlike rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll was embraced by white bands and listeners.

The main features of blues include: specific chord progressions, a walking bass, call and response, dissonant harmonies, syncopation, melisma and flattened 'blue' notes.

Folk musicBlues / Parent genre

Rather than telling stories, blues singers use their vocals above all to express feelings, typically of sadness but often of defiance as well. As a musical form, the blues is typified by a 12-bar structure that forms the basis for improvisation. Other characteristic elements were derived from African music.

The blues is a type of American music that became popular in the early 1900s. It is closely related to jazz. Instrumental music is important in the blues. Guitar, piano, and harmonica are typical blues instruments. But singing plays the key role in many songs.

R&b stands for rhythm and blues. This is because it incorporates elements of these styles. The difference between r&b and pop is that pop is usually more upbeat while r&b is usually more chill. Some famous r&b artists are The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Zayn Malik, and Drake.

R&B derived from gospel, jazz, folk, and traditional blues music and emerged in tandem with rock 'n' roll. R&B notably diverged from rock music in later decades. Contemporary R&B is often driven by keyboards, synthesizers, strong bass lines, and looped drum beats.