How did Texas blues differ from Mississippi Delta blues?

Texas blues and Mississippi Delta blues represent two distinct regional styles of early rural blues that developed in the Southern United States.1

The primary differences between the two styles include:

• Vocal and Guitar Style: Texas blues is characterized by high, clear singing accompanied by supple guitar lines, typically featuring single-string picked arpeggios rather than strummed chords. In contrast, Mississippi Delta blues is considered the most intense of the rural styles; it is more speechlike vocally, and the guitar accompaniment is rhythmic and percussive, frequently utilizing a slide or bottleneck to bend notes.12
• Musical Influence: While both styles emerged from the experiences of Black agricultural workers, the Delta style is noted for its emotional intensity and use of call-and-response patterns between the voice and the guitar.32

Blind Lemon Jefferson is recognized as the most influential figure in the Texas tradition, whereas the Delta style is famously represented by artists such as Charley Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson.31