Blues

This passage describes a type of music called "the Blues."

Lexile Level: 620L

Categories: Art & Music

Delta blues is the most famous kind of blues music. It is called "Delta blues" because it was first played in the Mississippi Delta. That is where the Mississippi River ends. Blues music was first played almost one hundred years ago, but no one knows who invented it. Blues songs are not happy songs. They are about hard times. A person who plays the blues is called a bluesman. He sings and plays the guitar at the same time. A guitar is a musical instrument. It is made of wood and has six strings. Sometimes a bluesman uses a piece of a glass bottle to help him play the guitar. He slides the piece of glass over the guitar strings. It makes a scratchy sound. People liked the sound of blues songs. Today you can hear the blues sound in many kinds of music.