Due to how the man was treating her with such disrespect, Smith sings about leaving the man she loves. Her music was considered to be classical blues based on the African American blues genre. Long before Smith’s time, this type of music with Its sad and negative tone was already being played. For Instance, “Flow My Tears” was written around the sass’s which was during the Renaissance period. This was considered popular during Shakespearean time. It was produced by John Download, who was a well-known English composer In Europe. He lived from 1563; 1626.
It was derived from a poem perhaps previously written by Download. Download is well-known for his pieces which represent sadness. In that, it portrays one’s happiness coming to an end-?similarly to that of “Lost Your Head Blues. ” Both “Flow My Tears” and “Lost Your Head Blues” were solo songs; however, Smith, a woman soloist, was accompanied by a piano played by Fletcher Henderson and a cornet played by Joe Smith. In contrast, Downloads piece was sung by a male and was accompanied by a lute, a plucked wooden string instrument popular at this time, ND similar to the guitar which we are familiar with today.
In the piece, “Lost Your Head Blues” the melodies come in descending pitches which represent sadness through word painting. The form is considered to be A, A, B form where the music and text are imitated in the first two lines, and changed for the last line. An example of this technique is when the instrumentalist continues playing after the singing has stopped. The instrumentalist also improvises by playing different notes and, therefore, as a result no response is ever the same.
Smith herself uses the same method utilizing different notes when singing the word “when you were lonesome. ” Smith continues to grab our attention through the sliding technique of word painting being used in the ascending notes, which offers us hope. With the exception of section B the voice dominates the piece to remind us of the tense mood. Over time you see that instruments, pieces of music, and techniques applied to music continue to change. Some pieces however, such as the two mentioned here, can transform our future in one way or another.
Blues music continues to Journey Into our time through artists Like Chuck Berry, a SST. Louis native, who Is still around today. And Downloads piece, “Flow My Tears,” performed by well-known artists such as Sting, has provided us with modern renditions of the song. Without artists Like Berry or Sting, we might not otherwise have an opportunity to embrace the history of our music. Just as the lyrics had meaning In their Orlando time, the context of the pieces, or similar ones still hit home to those listening. Music Appreciation By Marsha
Blues” in particular was a sad love song that became a popular hit in the sass’s, of music with its sad and negative tone was already being played. For instance, “Flow Download, who was a well-known English composer in Europe. He lived from 1563-1626. It was derived from a poem perhaps previously written by Download. Into our time through artists like Chuck Berry, a SST. Louis native, who is still around as Sting.