The blues has a distinct melancholic and somber tone, which is achieved through vocal techniques such as melisma, rhythmic techniques such as syncopation, and instrumental techniques such as “choking” guitar strings on the neck or applying a metal slide to the guitar strings to create a whining voicelike sound. Early blues music used the acoustic guitar, but by the mid-20th century an urban style using the electric guitar had developed in Northern cities, especially Chicago.
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