Preface

Hi! Welcome to my History Of Music blog! In this blog I'm going through the history from beginning to nowadays! Keep in mind I'm not a music teacher, but I have some experience, I will do my best to make this blog interesting, instructive! I always try to do my best and develop. I will paste some music and photos from Spotify/Google just to feel those eras and what I'm talking about! So let's get start it!

American Civil War (1861-1865)

(4 years, 1 month & 2 weeks)

As the Civil war ended in may 26, 1865 they didin't know anymore what slave is means. The Union (aka the north) won the war thanks to Abraham L. I won't get into it much I'll keep it short. What happened after that? Well soldiers dropped their instruments in the mudd and probably a few gun. So the whole country was free finally black people could work as normal people did (white ppl) and they could ride horse. I'm saying this because back in the time black people couldn't do anything! Even riding a damn horse or take a crap alone or something... Anyways so, A few black kid saw those instruments I mean they found them and they picked up. In the army at that time the only instruments were: Trumpet, Cymbals, Bass Drum & Marching snare. So as these kids picked up these instruments they started playing, but we're still not talking about a band. This was around 1880s... At that time the bass was Piano but it was too heavy to carry it so mandolin was the bass at that time!

First Jazz band (Original Dixieland Jazz Band aka.: ODJB)

They formed the band in 1916 but their career started in 1917!!! Yes! 3 years after the First World War broke out! Here's a photo of the band:

One of the ODJB songs:

So as you can see the bass was: Piano, Clarinet & Drums The Piano & Trumpet played the melody. After ODJB formed and they saw that they could make a lot of money from this making records, vinyl and playing at bars ALREADY BACK IN 1917!!!! or 1920s!!!! What changed about the drums? Well as you can see a lot! One man played the drums not 3 or 4! That meant more money! Plus the stage they were playing on only could afford maximum 4 person at once!! Because those bar stages were so small! ODJB inspired a lot of musicians and a lot of people started making jazz band of course if they could afford it!

Blues

Our journey leads us into New Orleans! The blues as genre was born in 1912 2 years before the World War I broke out! The first Blues Music Sheet written by Hart Wind & W. C. Handy.

W. C. Handy

I couldn't find a single photo about Hart Wind! But let's move on. The first blues album/song was recorded by Mamie Smith in 1920! The album called Presenting Mamie Smith (1920) At first she recorded a single called Crazy Blues in the same year she dropped her album. 

Mamie Smith

The blues was the black people' music. Only black people could play blues that way. Unfortunately white people couldn't play blues like black people did/do and still!! Why? Because black people has their own unique style, beat, ear and so on. While blues musicians improvised all the time they played a gig or just rehearsed because there was no music sheet at the time plus they wouldn't be able to read it! Not just black/white people NO ONE! So back in 1910s, 1920s there was no music sheet they only improvised and played music that way and the funniest thing is that it worked they were pro musicians! What were the blues instruments? The basic instruments were: Guitar, Banjo, Piano, double bass (from 1920/25 double bass replaced the clarinet) & drums. Here are some other famous artist from 1920s 1930s:

That didn't mean that white people didn't play blues at all. They did but they weren't famous this business was black people's business as you can see. Blues is still one of my favourite song. Judge me or call me silly if you want but I can enjoy these songs that I shared with y'all like banging my head not literally but yeah bouncing my legs or whatever tap on my laps... I love music!!! 

1950s

As time flew different kinds of styles formed inside of the genres. Blues went from blues to rythm and blues which was more rockish basically Rock & Roll. Jazz went from Jazz to Jazz Rock. What we call jazz rock? When jazz musicians plays rock but in jazz style. But there was rock jazz when rock musicians played jazz but in their own style that's what we call rock jazz. What's the difference? In early jazz music tended to be in 4/4 but as everything changed they changed too so there was 5/4 time signature as well. So while jazz musicians wrote/played songs in 12/8 rock musicians wrote/played songs in 4/4, 2/4, 2/2, 6/8 (blues' standard time signature). A lot of things changed by 1950s people are moved from New Orleans to Detroit & Chicago. As World War II broke out in 1939 everyone moved to this two places because of the opportunities and jobs there was more and more musician. The factories literally ate those people because of the war they started making tanks, guns and pretty much everything you can imagine. Because of that a lot of people moved to mainly Chicago from New Orleans but to Detroit too! While New Orleans was only black people' city this time this changed. by 1950s there was more white musicians in Chicago & Detroit even in Texas and all over the country.

An average family in 50s

Jazz musicians from 50s. By 50s saxophone existed and obviously joined to jazz!

Jazz clubs in the 50s. They often played blues and rock music as well in jazz clubs. This was the biggest and as you can see fancy venue.

Rock, Rock & Roll & Rythm and Blues

Rock, Rock & Roll, Rythm and blues & Country music was getting popular all over the world!! The first rock band ever was The Beatles (1960) yes, when I said all over the world I meant literally all over the world even in the UK! Basically The Beatles made a blueprint for rock musicians. A lot of new artist 'arrived' to the industry who played Rock, Rock & Rool, Rythm and blues & Country music. At that time this was a brand new trend something unusual, something wild they didn't even let to people to listen to Rock music because they said it's not from God. Its the Devil's music, but at the weekends or weekdays they could play in bars these people. There was a lot of people interested in these new genres/styles. Mostly young people/teens. I name a few famous artist from 50s: Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley, Peggy Lee, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Boddy Darin, The Chords, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Connie Francis, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton & Wanda Jackson. And now I list some music from 50s just to get the feeling!

So as you can hear not just see not even the industry and artist changed but everything! The process of becoming an artist a musician, itself the instruments, recording process, itself the sounds and styles!! in 1880s drums were separated they played them separatedly Snare, Cymbals and bass drum. By 1900s 1910s it changed. The snare drum, bass drum and cymbal wasn't separated anymore as I said before they thought they could make more money that way if one guy plays the drums and not 3 or 4 at once right? By 1950s the drums changed a lot. This changed the music and itself the dynamics of the songs. There was a lot more cymbals we've got Tom Toms and floor tom. A classic setup looked like this in 1950s:

This is a Gretsch jazz drum kit but everyone used jazz drum kit for every genre. They made ofc bigger bass drums but jazz drummers used this small bass drums!

While the first drum kit looked like this! HUGE DIFFERENCE in 30/40 years! So not just the industry, artists, styles, genres changed but the instruments as well! Especially drums as you can see!

Buddy Rich one of the most famous and best drummer of all time! This photo was taken in February 12th, 1923.

Guitars are deserve a mention as well! In 1950 electric guitars are appeared and the good old bass too that musicians use nowadays as well. It's inincredible and we're in the 50s yet!!!

A magazine from 50s. As you can see in the 50s it was already costed a lot of money guitars, amps and all these stuffs. Until 50s they used the basic acoustic guitar without any amps...!!!! 

End of the blog

Thank you so much for everyone who read through my long/big ass blog! I hope I could show/teach you something new and you find it interesting! I'd like to apologize for not leading you into nowadays/today, but that would be a lot. I was planning to make a blog how music was born and how everything changed during these years. I could do and write more but I have limits! Thanks for understanding it! I've put all of my heart and energy into this blog so kudos and comments are highly appreciated but not necessary! 

My favourite era obviously is 50s and 60s. I love the music, styles, clothes, cars, houses and itself the life was a lot different!!! My favourite artists from 50s are: Elvis, Big Mama Thornton, BB King, Wanda Jackson, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra & Johnny Cash. I'm actually a country boy I love country not just rock lolz. Even cars omg I love the cars from 60s!!! Or Elvis' pink cadillac!!! That's like my dream car! 

Sincerely,

Darius