Q 01/05

The blues originated among African Americans in which region of the United States?

A) The Midwest

B) The Northeast

C) The West Coast

D) The Deep South

Answer · why

D) The Deep South

Its first appearance is usually dated after the Emancipation Act of 1863, as juke joints spread.

Q 02/05

Which chord progression is the most common form of the blues?

A) Thirty-two-bar

B) Twelve-bar

C) Eight-bar

D) Sixteen-bar

Answer · why

B) Twelve-bar

It is built mostly on the I, IV and V chords and is ubiquitous in jazz, R&B and rock and roll.

Q 03/05

"Blue notes" are usually which scale degrees, flattened in pitch?

A) Fourths and sixths only

B) Roots and octaves

C) Seconds, fourths and sixths

D) Thirds, fifths and sevenths

Answer · why

D) Thirds, fifths and sevenths

They are also called "worried notes" and can be traced back to African music.

Q 04/05

The word "blues" may derive from which old phrase for melancholy?

A) Blue devils

B) Blue moods

C) Blue shadows

D) Blue Mondays

Answer · why

A) Blue devils

George Colman used it as the title of a one-act farce in 1798.

Q 05/05

The three four-bar phrases of a standard blues typically follow which lyric pattern?

A) ABC

B) AABB

C) ABA

D) AAB

Answer · why

D) AAB

An opening line over the tonic is repeated over the subdominant, then answered over the dominant.