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What are the stylistic characteristics that distinguish Cajun and zydeco from other types of music?

Fais Do-Do Dance, Cajun Girls. Crowley, Louisiana, by Russell Lee. Library of Congress.

Cajun and Zydeco: Style, Structure, and Social Context

MUSIC LISTENING

25+ MIN

20+ MIN

30+ MIN

Cajun Fiddler, Louisiana, by Ruby Terril. Library of Congress.

MUSIC MAKING

MUSIC MAKING

Exploring Musical Elements

Component 1

25+ minutes

Dewey and Will Balfa in the Studio, ​unknown photographer. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

Reflecting on Prior Knowledge

Discussion Question:

Based on what you know right now, what basic characteristics come to mind when you think of Cajun and zydeco music?

Outside of instrumentation alone, what defines these styles?

Write your thoughts down.

Edward Poullard and Lawrence "Black" Ardoin, photo by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.

Singing Style

The first thing many people notice about Cajun and zydeco music is the unique singing style in each: high pitched and often accompanied by yells and/or other sound effects. 

• Cajun and zydeco song themes (e.g. suffering or loneliness) are often reflected through repeated vocalizations, in addition to (or sometimes, in place of) the lyrics.

• In fact, Cajun and zydeco song lyrics themselves are often seemingly nonsensical repetitions of common phrases or ideas.

• The voice is truly used as an additional instrument, where the sound plays a role of its own.

Attentive Listening: Singing Style

In order to gain a better understanding of the singing style that is usually associated with Cajun and zydeco music, listen to short excerpts from each of these audio tracks:

“Chère tout-tou,” performed by Nathan Abshire

“Diggy Liggy Lo,” by the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

“Tante Na Na,” by Preston Frank

What do you notice about the singing?

Now, Give Singing a Try!

Now it's your turn to be a singer! Consider these ideas:

Pick a line from your favorite song and see if you can sing it in the different styles we just listened to.

Can you make your voice sound like you're a Cajun or zydeco singer?

What do you have to change to make your voice sound similar?

It's rare to see traditional Cajun or zydeco songs in a minor key, and even minor chords are uncommon.

Generally Speaking .....

Chord Progressions

Lawrence "Black" Ardoin, photo by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.

Due to the limitations of the diatonic accordion (which can only be played in the key of its making), most Cajun and zydeco songs are in a major key (usually C or D, sometimes G or A), and have very simple chord progressions (I-IV-V).

Songs with more than three chords are seldom played; songs with two chords, or even only one chord per song are not unusual.  

Mark the Chord Changes!

Let's have some fun with identifying chord changes:

• First, when you hear a chord change, clap your hands! Let's do that all the way through a chord progression – every time you hear a new chord, clap your hands! We'll get a sense of what it sounds like for a chord to change.

• Once we've tried that, let's try singing the root note! Can you sing the main pitch that you're hearing??

• Finally, let's play the notes on our instruments!

Generally Speaking .....

Extension Activity: Identifying Chord Progressions in Cajun and Zydeco Music

“Chère tout-tou,” performed by Nathan Abshire

“Tante Na Na,” by Preston Frank

Raise your hand when you hear a change (all of these songs were written in a major key).

Can you identify where the chord changes are in these songs?

“Jolie Blonde” performed by the Hackberry Ramblers.

Text

Unlike many forms of popular music, songs in the Cajun and zydeco repertoire seldom have a “chorus.”

Structure / Form in Cajun and Zydeco Music

In strophic songs, the same melody (more or less) is sung to each verse. This is the main repeated melodic line, called the "tune" or "A part."  ​

This is known as "strophic" form, or AAA.

Most songs contain just a few "verses," all of which are sung to the same music.

“Chère tout-tou,” performed by Nathan Abshire

More About Structure / Form: Cajun Example

Especially in Cajun music, there is often a second melody called a "turn" (or "B part") that contrasts with the tune (or "A part"). With some songs, the turn is a variation on the tune, and with others it is completely different, and often more rhythmically energetic and less tuneful.

Can you identify the "B part"?

The BeauSoleil Quartet: Cajun Reel Medley. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

More About Structure / Form: Cajun Example

In Cajun AABB form, sung verses alternate with instrumental breaks, where the melodic instrument (fiddle, accordion, or electric guitar) play both the tune and the "turn."

Can you raise your hand each time you hear the "turn" (B part) in this example?

“Jolie Blonde” performed by the Hackberry Ramblers.

Generally Speaking .....

More About Structure / Form: Zydeco Example

​Zydeco songs are not always strophic; songs inspired by blues style use a refrain (repeated phrase) at the end of each verse. Some contemporary zydeco songs do have a "chorus," a repeated section that uses a different melody from the verses.                    (See slide 19 for an example of a blues-inspired zydeco song.)

In zydeco music, it is less common to employ a turn.

​Most zydeco bands don't have a fiddle, so the accordion takes most of the instrumental breaks, but occasionally the electric guitar does as well.

“Tante Na Na,” by Preston Frank

Always a social form of music, the tradition of two fiddles being played together goes back to the beginning of the Acadian/Cajun fiddling tradition:

One plays the lead melody, and the other plays a rhythmic and harmonic back-up.

• The back-up fiddle would create rhythmic accompaniment by either playing the melody a step lower on the bass strings (known as "doubling") or by playing low chords in harmony.

Generally Speaking .....

Double Fiddle

Generally Speaking .....

Double Fiddle

The BeauSoleil Quartet: "Cajun Reel Medley" at 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

This "double fiddle" style is still very characteristic of Cajun music today.

Watch this video again . . .

Can you tell who is playing lead and who is playing "second fiddle”?

Generally Speaking .....

"Blue" Notes

“Blues in Cajun Fiddling,” by Dewey Balfa

Zydeco music (officially recognized as a genre in the 1950s), drew heavily on the influence of popular R&B and Rock n Roll from the time period, and used the 12-bar blues progression. This is still a standard form used today.

Generally Speaking .....

The Blues and Zydeco Style

Clifton Chenier Sings the Blues, cover art by Wayne Pope. Arhoolie Records.

“Blues de Ma Negresse,” by Clifton Chenier

Learning Checkpoint

• What are some of the distinguishing musical characteristics of Cajun and zydeco music?

End of Component 1: Where will you go next?

The Two-Step and the Waltz

Component 2

20+ minutes

The Two-Step and the Waltz

You may have already noticed that most Cajun and zydeco songs have one of two possible time structures:

• Waltz (groups of three beats) or

• Two-step (groups of two beats)

Attentive Listening: Waltz vs. Two-Step

Listen to excerpts from these two recordings:    

Can you tell which is a two-step and which is a waltz?

Example 1: by Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

Example 2: by Clifton Chenier

The Waltz

• The first song you heard was a waltz.
• A waltz is in ¾ time, or triple meter.
• You can recognize a waltz by counting along with the rhythm. Waltzes are typically slower, and are often titled "Valse de _______" or "_____ waltz".​

A very popular dance in Europe and the US, the waltz came to Louisiana with the Acadians and other Europeans in the 19th century.

3/4 Time by Chungho Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Engaged Listening: Waltz

Listen to another clip from this recording ("Kaplan Waltz")

Count the three-beat time structure out loud as you listen (1, 2, 3).

Listen again . . .

This time, clap or tap along (or play it on an instrument . . . Such as a triangle or scrubboard).

Two-step d'amédé, cover art by Elizabeth Weil. Arhoolie Records.

The Two-Step

• The second song you heard was an example of a two-step.
• A two-step is in 4/4 or 2/4 time, or duple meter.
• You can recognize a two-step by counting along with the rhythm. They are typically faster, upbeat numbers, and are often titled "Two-step de ____" or "_____ two-step," or sometimes have the word "Breakdown," "Stomp," or "Special" in the title.

Top: 2/4 Time, by Chelsey Hamm, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Open Music Theory.

Bottom: 4/4 Time, by Robert Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Engaged Listening: Two-Step

Listen to another clip from a different recording ("Zodico Two-Step").

Count the two-beat time structure out loud while you listen (1, 2).

Listen again . . .

This time, clap or tap along (or play it on an instrument . . . Such as a triangle or scrubboard).

King of the Bayous: I'm Coming Home, cover art by Wayne Pope. Arhoolie Records.

Music for Dancing

Fais-do-do near Crowley, Louisiana, by Lee Russell. Library of Congress.

So .... LET'S DANCE!

Today we're going to learn the Cajun two-step!

Video: The Cajun Two-Step

Watch this short instructional video on how to dance the Cajun two-step.

How to Cajun Two Step, Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau. visitlakecharles.org.

The Feet:

• Leaders start with their left foot and go to the left first, followers with their right, moving to the right first. (anyone can lead or follow!)

• All dancers take 3 steps per measure.

• The step is: "step together, step touch" or "quick, quick, slow."

• Try counting as you step! 1 and 1 (to the left), 2 and 2 (to the right)

• Hold your arms at your side.

Learning the Cajun Two-Step

Try it with a partner

• Start by facing each other.

• The "leader" (typically a man but can be any gender) always moves to their left first, and the "follower" to their right.

• Follow one another to the left and right.

• The Cajun two-step is typically done in a "closed-arm" position (leader holds right hand of follower with their left hand, puts their right on follower's back – follower rests their left hand on the leader's right shoulder and the rest of their left arm on top of the leader's right arm), but can also be done in an "open" position, holding hands at arms-length. In this position, arms swing with the music . . . experiment with both!

Learning the Cajun Two-Step

Now try it with music!

Learning the Cajun Two-Step

Learning Checkpoint

• What is the main similarity between waltzes and two-steps?
• What are some differences that you can hear by listening alone?

End of Component 2: Where will you go next?

Compose Your Own Song!

Component 3

30 + minutes

Time to Compose!

It’s time to compose your very own song . . .  In the style of Cajun or zydeco!

We'll build your song piece by piece – starting with form and then adding your own unique style.

Choosing Your Song Structure

Many Cajun and zydeco songs only have one melody that repeats several times with different words (verse and chorus). This is called strophic form (AAA).

You could add a 'B' section, making the form AABB. In this music, the B section is often just played by instruments and not sung.

Writing Your Lyrics

Choose your mood and topic: For example, do you want your song to be an expression of sadness, or a silly nonsense song with fun words? Consider these steps:

• Write 4 lines on your topic: this can be literally anything! A conversation, a song about your dog, or a chat about the weather. (See "Hip et Taiaut" from Lesson 5 for an example of a song with silly lyrics).

  • If you decide to write a chorus, write an additional 4 lines of lyrics that can be repeated over and over!

  • Write your lyrics in English, or in any language the group feels comfortable with. (You can even combine languages!)

  • Take your first 4 lines and repeat them twice (if you chose strophic form), changing one word or subject from the first verse. Same idea, different variation!

Choosing Your Time Structure

Does your song feel like it ought to be a waltz (triple meter), or a two-step (duple meter)?

• Experiment with saying your lyrics in rhythm (without a melody) to each and see which feels best.

• Make edits to your lyrics as you see fit.

• Document your composition throughout this process (through music notation or an audio/video recording).

Finding Melody and Chord Progression

Find the key of your song ...

It might be easiest to start with C Major; many Cajun and zydeco tunes use this key!

• Use the chords you know in this key! (I-IV-V = C-F-G)

• Now, come up with a simple melody for your lyrics (that fits with your chord structure) and sing it.

• Stick to the notes in the “major” scale.

• Make edits as you see fit.

• Document your melody as you compose (through music notation or an audio/video recording).

Adding Your Flavor

• Do you think this song should be played in a Cajun style or a zydeco style? (Or somewhere in between?)

• Which instruments should be played on this song?

• Experiment with percussion (triangles, scrubboards) and perhaps even harmony (singing, violin, piano)

• Can you write a rhythmic ostinato pattern?

• Name your song: ("Valse de _____," "Two-step de ______,"  and "Blues de _______" are some commonly used forms for names . . . just to get your wheels turning).

• Practice your song!

Extension Activity

• Rehearse, Refine, and Present your performance of your original song for a live audience (or record it).

• Have members of your group or classmates demonstrate the dance that goes along with it (waltz or two-step) . . . your very own Fais Do-Do!

Learning Checkpoint

• What creative choices related to form, time, rhythm, melody, harmony, instrumentation, and lyrics did you make as you composed your own song?

• How did these choices relate to Cajun and/or zydeco stylistic elements?

End of Component 3 and Lesson 6: Where will you go next?

Lesson 6 Media Credits

Audio courtesy of:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Video courtesy of:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Images courtesy of:

Library of Congress

The Arhoolie Foundation

Ralph Rinzler Archive, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

© 2022 Smithsonian Institution. Personal, educational, and non-commercial uses allowed; commercial rights reserved. See Smithsonian terms of use for more information.

This Lesson was funded in part by the Grammy Museum Grant and the Smithsonian Youth Access Grants Program, with support from the Society for Ethnomusicology and the National Association for Music Education.

For full bibliography and media credits, see Lesson 6 landing page.