Listen What I Gotta Say: Women in the Blues
Lesson Hub 1
Hear Me Howl: Introduction to the Blues
6th grade–8th grade
The question to consider throughout this Lesson is:
What is the "essence" of the blues?
Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band, photo by Jim Marshall. Arhoolie Records.
Hear Me Howl: Introduction to the Blues
Big Mama Thornton with Band, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Path 1
What Is the Blues?
20+ minutes
Big Mama Thornton at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, © Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
Introduction to the Blues
What is blues music? How would you describe it?
Is it sad?
Happy?
Is it slow?
Fast?
Is it about good times?
Bad times?
Is it about love?
Heartache?
King of Blues, Photo of a Guitar, by Libby Junior, CC0 1.0, via PublicDomainPictures.net.
What's in a Name?
The term blues originated from expressions like “feelin' blue,” “to have blue devils,” and “to have low spirits.”
These expressions refer to feelings, especially those relating to personal suffering and feeling troubled or worried.
Knowing this additional context ... what musical qualities and lyrics would you expect to hear when listening to blues music?
Blues Word Cloud, by Ty-Juana Taylor. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Listening to the Blues
Listen to the first two or three verses of this song called “Session Blues.”
Does this recording match how you originally described blues music? If not, why? What is different?
Big Mama Thornton Singing, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Listening for Musical Meaning
Listen to Big Mama Thornton’s “Session Blues”—this time, in its entirety.
Follow along with the lyrics and think about these questions:
What is this song about?
What do you think Big Mama was feeling as she sang this song?
How do you know? (Are there clues in the lyrics or in the musical sounds?)
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
The band is the swinginest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy, he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey, hey, I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
Hey, looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil short while and it won't be long
Blues Topics
While the topics of blues compositions can be sad or melancholic, they are usually autobiographical in nature.
This means that they often deal with personal relationships and sometimes difficult social issues, such as poverty.
However, they can also be joyous, sharing about a new love, a new job, a new instrument, or a favorite band or musician.
Expressing the Blues
Whatever the topic, performers express their feelings about the themes of blues compositions, often in an emotional, powerful, and somewhat raw (unrefined) manner—both in terms of the lyrics themselves and the way in which the lyrics are interpreted and delivered by the singer.
Listen again for these qualities in “Session Blues,” by Big Mama Thornton.
Big Mama Thornton, Arms Crossed, ©Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
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Listening to the Blues: More Musical Connections
Listen to excerpts (2 to 3 verses each time) from Big Mama’s recording of the “Session Blues.”
Each time you listen, think about a new guiding question:
What instruments do you hear? How would you describe their roles within the band? Do they help to tell the story?
How does the singer interpret the lyrics (style)? Consider timbre, diction, projection, and so forth.
How does the singer engage with the other musicians?
Text
A Brief History of the Blues
Time
The blues became a prominent musical form at the turn of the 20th century.
Place
It originated in communities of formerly-enslaved Africans in the American South, deriving from spirituals, field hollers, shouts, work songs, and chants.
Influence
Though formed 100+ years ago, the blues has influenced many types of popular music, such as ragtime, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm-and-blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and country.
Big Mama Thornton's Influence
Some people think Big Mama Thornton laid the foundation for rock and roll!
"Hound Dog," by Big Mama Thornton. Arhoolie Records.
"Hound Dog," by Elvis Presley. RCA Records.
About Big Mama Thornton
Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984) was born and raised in Alabama. At 14, she left home to tour with the Hot Harlem Review. No one ever formally taught her how to sing or how to play the harmonica and drums, but she learned from watching others. Around 1950, Big Mama Thornton made her first recording in Houston, which was released under the name of the Harlem Stars. In 1953, Big Mama recorded “Hound Dog” and it put her name on the map. The song was a hit. Big Mama found herself in high demand, touring from coast to coast. Later, Elvis Presley recorded the song and made a monster hit for himself utilizing mostly the same arrangement.
Big Mama Thornton with Purse, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Learning Checkpoint
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When did the blues become a prominent American musical form and what other musical styles has it influenced?
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What are some common topics in blues music and how are these topics expressed?
End of Path 1: Where will you go next?
Path 2
The Blues Isn't Always Blue
30+ minutes
Elizabeth Cotten, by Brian Lanker. National Portrait Gallery.
The Blues Isn't Always Blue
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Although the blues is often thought to be sad, it doesn’t have to be. The blues can encompass a wide variety of emotions.
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In this Path, you will listen to two blues songs by two different artists that convey emotions and feelings besides sadness.
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As you analyze the musical characteristics of these songs, you will discover just how diverse the “blues sound” can be.
Attentive Listening Activity: Example 1
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First, listen to "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
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As you listen, complete the first column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” worksheet.
Listen for the ways in which Big Mama Thornton (and the members of her band) use musical elements and expressive qualities (time/rhythm, form, melody, harmony, instrumental and vocal timbre, texture, tempo, dynamics) to express ideas and emotions.
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
The band is the swinginest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy, he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey, hey, I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
Hey, looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil' short while and it won't be long
A Different Kind of Blues: "Freight Train"
Next, watch this performance of a song called “Freight Train,” recorded by Elizabeth Cotten in 1957.
What is unique about her playing style?
Freight Train, by Pete and Toshi Seeger. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
About Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten
Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1895-1987) taught herself how to play the banjo and guitar.
She became known for a unique style of playing where she would fret the strings with her right hand and pick with her left, opposite of how most people play. This meant she would thumb the treble strings while finger-picking the bass notes.
Elizabeth Cotten with Guitar, by John Cohen. Courtesy of the John Cohen Trust.
More About Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten
This method of finger picking was unique and became very influential.
Elizabeth won a Grammy award in 1985 (at age 90) and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Elizabeth Cotten, 1968 Newport Folklife Festival, by Diana Jo Davies. Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Listening for Meaning: "Freight Train"
Let's listen to the audio version of the song. As you listen, think about the following questions:
What is this song about?
What do you think Elizabeth Cotten was feeling as she sang?
Freight train, freight train run so fast.
Freight train, freight train run so fast.
Please don' tell what train I'm on,
They won't know what route I'm on.
When I'm dead, Lawd bury me deep,
Way down on old Chestnut Street,
So I can hear old Number Nine,
As she comes rolling by.
When I'm dead and in my grave,
No more good times here I crave.
Place the stones at my head and feet
And tell them all I've gone to sleep.
Attentive Listening Activity: Example 2
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Listen again to “Freight Train” by Elizabeth Cotten.
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As you listen, complete the second column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” Worksheet.
Specifically, you will be listening for the ways in which Elizabeth Cotten used musical elements and expressive qualities (time/rhythm, form, melody, harmony, instrumental and vocal timbre, texture, tempo, dynamics) to convey expressive intent.
Compare and Contrast
Complete the final column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” Worksheet.
What similarities and differences did you notice between these two interpretations of the blues?
Others?
Others?
After comparing the two examples, what did you find?
Similarities:
Differences:
Blues Form (Lyrical Form)
Both blues songs are based on an A-A-B lyrical form.
"Session Blues"
A
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say
A
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say
B
I've got everybody I need right here today
"Freight Train"
A
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
A
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
B
Please don' tell what train I'm on, They won't know what route I'm on
Electric vs. Acoustic Blues
The “Session Blues” is an example of electric blues.
Electric blues refers to any type of blues music using electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified.
“Freight Train” is an example of acoustic blues.
Acoustic blues is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocals with acoustic finger-style guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in the early 1900s.
Blues Form (Harmony)
Big Mama Thornton's "Session Blues" is based on a standard 12-bar blues chord progression.
Elizabeth Cotten's "Freight Train" is based on an 8-bar blues chord progression with a 4-bar tag/repeat.
"Session Blues" 12-bar progression
| I | I | I | I7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | IV | I | I or V |
"Session Blues"
"Freight Train" 8-bar progression
| I | V | V7 | I |
|---|---|---|---|
| iii | IV | I/V7 | I |
| iii | IV | I/V7 | I |
"Freight Train"
Blue Notes, use of blue notes
Big Mama Thornton incorporated a stylistic technique known as “blue notes.”
Essentially, a “blue note” is a note that is lower than you would expect.
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In blues and jazz, the lowered 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of the major scale are considered “blue notes.”
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However, a “blue note” can also be less that a full semitone (the sound between a white and the closest black key on the piano).
"Session Blues"
Learning Checkpoint
-
What are some similarities and differences between Big Mama Thornton and Elizabeth Cotten’s interpretations of the blues?
End of Path 2: Where will you go next?
Path 3
Singing with Big Mama Thornton
20+ minutes
Big Mama Thornton, Berkeley Folk Festival, photo by Kelly Hart; © Northwestern University.
Attentive Listening
Listen to the first few verses of Big Mama Thornton’s recording of the “Session Blues.”
- Think about this guiding question:
What do you notice about Big Mama Thornton’s singing style?
Stylistic Considerations
In blues music, the pitches are not always absolute:
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The singer sometimes slides up to pitches, falls off them, or ornaments them.
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The pitches have a “bent” quality.
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This style of singing is different from choral singing.
Can you practice bending pitches with your voice?
Engaged Listening
Listen to this short excerpt again...
- This time, can you pat or clap along on 2 and 4?
1
2
3
4
Optional Extension Activity: Turn your body into a drum set!
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Tap your toe on 1 and 3.
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Pat with one hand on 2 & 4.
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With your other hand, pat on the steady beat or a basic swing pattern.
Discussion Question
How did Big Mama Thornton learn to sing and play the blues?
Big Mama Thornton with Muddy Waters and Band, ©Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
"I Don’t Sing Like Nobody but Myself"
In the liner notes of one of her albums, Big Mama talked about her musical style and training:
I like my own old down-home singing, with the feeling. I learned to sing blues by myself. My singing comes from experience. My own experience. My own feeling. I got my own feelings for everything. I never had no one to teach me nothing. I never went to school for music or nothing. I stayed home to take care of my mother who was sick. I taught myself to sing and to blow harmonica and even to play drums by watching other people. I can't read music, but I know where I'm singing! If I hear a blues I like, I try to sing it in my own way. It's always best to have something of your own. I don't sing like nobody but myself.
Is Big Mama Thornton’s musical background/training similar to or different from your own?
Learning "By Ear" (Aural Transmission)
Blues music is often learned “by ear”
- It is an oral/aural tradition that is passed on from one generation to the next.
Click to the next slide to learn the first verse of the “Session Blues” by ear.
Learning the Blues"By Ear" (Aural Transmission)
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The teacher (or Big Mama) will sing the first line and you will echo/repeat.
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Once you are comfortable, sing the first verse together as a class.
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Next, pat or clap on beats 2 and 4 as you sing.
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Finally, play the recording and sing the first verse along with Big Mama Thornton.
Lyrics:
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
Extension Activity: Learn the whole song!
Suggestions and notes:
- Sing the whole song with the recording.
-
This recording is in the key of A-major (using a blues scale, with the third, sixth, and seventh scale degrees frequently flatted).
- If possible (when singing without the recording), sing in the key appropriate to the voices of the students (e.g., C, for young voices, with middle C being the lowest pitch, and the song having a range of an octave).
- Teachers (or students) can consider adding piano or guitar accompaniment (especially at first, keep it simple!).
- Discuss performance criteria as a class... Remember to sing expressively.
- Learn a blues scale and practice improvising short melodic riffs.
- Practice, refine, and perhaps even perform for an audience.
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
The band is the swinginest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey hey, I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
Hey, looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil short while and it won't be long
Learning Checkpoint
- How is blues music usually learned?
- Which beats are emphasized in blues music?
- How does blues singing differ stylistically from traditional choral singing?
End of Path 3 and Lesson Hub 1: Where will you go next?
Lesson 1 Media Credits
Audio and Video courtesy of
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Images courtesy of
The Arhoolie Foundation
John Cohen Trust
Jim Marshall Photography, LLC
National Portrait Gallery
Northwestern University Libraries
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Tuskegee University Archives
University of North Carolina
© 2025 Smithsonian Institution. Personal, educational, and non-commercial uses allowed; commercial rights reserved. See Smithsonian terms of use for more information.
This Pathway was funded in part by the Smithsonian Youth Access Grants program and received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. It also received in-kind, collaborative support from the Society for Ethnomusicology and the National Association for Music Education.
For full bibliography and media credits, see Lesson 1 landing page.