The Influence of Blues Singers on Modern Rock N' Roll

Ever since the rumors first spread of Robert Leroy Johnson's fabled Faust-like pact with the dark side, the blues seized the attention of society with personal lyrics, touching emotional intensity, and compelling pentatonic chord progressions. However, the howls, growls, and moans of blues singers have influenced vocalists from subsequent genres inside the tradition of rock music.

Blues Music Introduced the Scream to Rock N' Roll

Screaming vocals have become the newest cutting edge in rock music. Kids love the angry, anxious, or frustrated screams of new artists. Bands from genres as diverse as hardcore, punk, metal, and modern rock use varying degrees of harshness in their voice to display raw emotion.

What would Kurt Cobain's vocals have sounded like without the scratchy drawl of B.B. King? Would Marilyn Manson have emerged without the shock-rock antics of Screamin' Jay Hawkins? A brief glance at the history of blues music shows the blueprint for what eventually became rock music.

Bending Notes Chromatically to Build Tension

Bending notes in blues style has become a mainstream tactic on guitar. However, so many singers rely on this same technique. Start on a consonant low note and bend up to the highest point in the key to fill the room with energy. This was a technique first made mainstream by blues vocalists, and it made it all the way into modern rock, soul, and funk vocals.

The use of these chromatic differentiations from the pentatonic rule set almost shows a kinship between blues and jazz. Both styles existed in the underground of pop culture in the first half of the 20th century. Some musicians drifted between the two, and both styles have had significant influence on modern rock as well. Chromatic note relationships can create a sense of anxiety that is relieved when the note lands on more consonant footing.

Emotionally Pure Performances Began with Blues Singers and Continue with Rock Vocalists Today

Iggy Pop flails about like a man possessed. Punk singers wail and beat their chests like people suffering from the loss of a loved one. These intense, dramatic emotional live performance styles draw heavily from the blues singers of yesteryear.

Purity of emotion is often considered the primary benchmark of a rock vocalist's stage presence. In the early 20th century, blues singers were thought to be possessed by evil spirits when their bodies seized up with the awesome power of the blues. Teary eyes and scratchy voices conveyed the truth about the world around them in ways previously disallowed by pop culture.

Rock music took this same spirit and supercharged it. High energy emotional displays incorporated more than just sadness; rage, happiness, and anxiety might be palpable in a live performance by a rock vocalist. The steady back beat still remains in place. This telling ghost of blues' dark past still lurks on stage when any rock singer grabs the microphone.

To perfect modern rock vocal technique, it is important to understand its legacy in the context of its relationship to the blues. We owe much to our forefathers who wailed against oppression from the dark and muddy deltas of the American South.

Mike Barry from Gazzmic writes articles about new media technology, music theory, and the music industry. For individuals interested in investigating the latest in online technology for bands and musicians, please visit: [http://www.gazzmic.com]

Gazzmic is a revolutionary new content management system for bands that seeks to reinvent the music industry entirely. Gazzmic is currently seeking artists to participate in an invitation-only closed beta program. Participants will be given the opportunity to promote their music over a free custom mobile app platform for the iPhone and Android Market. Musicians can apply for the closed beta by contacting Gazzmic on the company's website.

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