Blues music has its roots in the culture of Africans who were brought to America as slaves. The music combines elements from traditional African music and European music, and since blues was evolved by slaves, the lyrics typically evolve around frustrations, grief, and/or anger.

Traditional blues music often consists of twelve bars and three chords, and this basic formula also lay the foundation for the evolution of rock’n’roll. Blues scales also appear in jazz music and appear in almost all kinds of music.

Some of the most recognized names in in blues are the genre’s original pioneers like Robert Johnson, Memphis Slim and Mississippi John Hurt. Later examples of well-known blues musicians are Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King.

Keynotes about blues may dive into the historical and cultural roots of the genre, take a look at the way the music is built up, or focus on specific blues musicians and their careers.