Scott Ainslie
Press Kit:
 | Biography |
| Reviews |
| Photos |
Solo Recordings:
| You Better Lie Down |
| Terraplane |
| Jealous of the Moon |
Teaching Materials:
| Robert Johnson: At the Crossroads (Book) |
| Robert Johnson's Guitar Techniques (Video) |
| Guitar Workshops |
Schools:
| BluesRoots Teacher's Study Guide |
| Teaching Concerts |
Bookings:
| Loyd Artists |
Contact:
| ainslie@musician.org |
Copyright © 2002
Cattail Music, Inc.
Last modified: April 09, 2004
Involving The Music Teacher!
America is often described as a 'melting pot', but actually a more apt description may be that of a salad---where every element retains it's own character, but combines with other elements in a harmonious, or rather, delicious whole.Some of the ingredients of American music come from Europe, some were indigenous, and there are elements from Africa, as well. The African elements are recognized as African retentions---parts of African tradition that survived the dreaded 'Middle Passage' (the time spent between capture in Africa and enslavement in this hemisphere) and are retained in American and African-American music today. African retentions in American music include ---
| Call & Response: a structure rooted in communal singing in which a solo call is answered by a group response--adapted to include instrumental responses in Delta Blues, a change that led to the musical ‘conversations' evident in Jazz, Black (and subsequently, White) Gospel, Rock 'n' Roll, Heavy Metal guitar solos and much more. |
| Rhythmic Variation: used as an expressive element in much the same way that European musicians vary harmony and melody for expressive effect. African musicians vary meter and beat sub-divisions (especially 3:2 contrasts) in a complex layering of simple rhythmic patterns to create highly complex soundscapes. |
| Syncopation: the placing of rhythmic pulses off the established beat---an extension of the rhythmic variations that drive African- American music and dance styles. |
| Emotional Singing: which can include shouting, crying, screaming and other speech sounds not typically found in European singing prior to the 1950's and 60's, when African-based vocal styles began to be heard more widely. [In your mind, compare Julie Andrews and Aretha Franklin; Perry Como and Ray Charles; Pat Boone and Little Richard...] |
Even the youngest students can identify these characteristics after they are explicitly presented to them. Kindergarten students have readily brought in music from home that demonstrates some of these African characteristics, and, as you might expect, the genres that show up include Gospel, Country, Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Rock, Folk, Contemporary Ballads, Reggae, Ska, World Beat and Funk.
Setting your Blues lyrics to music is easier than you think. For one thing, you can just chant the words with rhythmic, back-beat hand clapping and have a pretty good time. But for the ultimate experience, involve your music teacher. The Blues are easy to fake, and at this point in history they are an indelible part of our collective musical subconscious. But, in case you are out of touch with that part of your subconscious, there follows a brief primer on the standard twelve-bar Delta Blues shuffle.Blues are a very specific American art form that came about when African musical traditions collided with European musical traditions. Harmonically, the music is marked by Major/Dominant-Seventh chords (non-musicians can safely skip the rest of this sentence) and by the flatted Third scale member in the melody, which effectively pits a minor feel in the melody against the major feel of the harmony. This gives the Blues it's own particular feel.
The reason that the music seems to be at odds with itself in this way, is that it comes from two cultures, and partakes of two ways of creating and understanding music. European chord structures (based on our seven note Diatonic scale) are overlain by a Minor Pentatonic melody (based on an African five note scale). Slamming these elements together makes this the only musical form in the world where every chord in the music can be a Dominant-Seventh. (Non-musicians can safely ignore the last two sentences!) If we write out these competing scales, we begin to see the nature of the conflict, and if you play them, you can hear the difference, too. The standard western, or European major scale in the key of E: E F# G# A B C# D# [ E...]. The Minor Pentatonic scale, beginning on E: E G A B D [E...].
If you have flexible Orff Instruments available, you can lay out only the five notes in the Minor Pentatonic scale, hand any kid the mallets and you will hear that they can't play a wrong note in a standard blues progression! If you play a straight twelve bar blues progression (non-musicians.....take a little break...;-): I - IV - I - I , IV - IV - I - I , V - IV - I - V using Dominant-Seventh chords, anyone can solo over the vamp and sound like B. B. King (on a xylophone, of course)!
If you don't have flexible instruments available to you, you can simply put colored tape on the correct keys of a piano, or under the correct strings of a hammer dulcimer or zither-type instrument and you're still in business. [NOTE: This is extremely fun. DON'T RUSH THROUGH THIS. And please don't be precious with the mallets and only let your ‘talented' students play. This is one of those moments in the classroom where everybody can win. If need be you can re-visit this activity over a few class periods to guarantee that everyone has a fair shot at it.]