Ethan Teaches You Music Podcast They Call It Stormy Monday
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Jul 7, 2025 Delve into the rich history of 'Stormy Monday,' a blues classic by T-Bone Walker, and uncover the unique harmonic elements that define his sound. Explore emotional interpretations of the song by Bobby Blue Bland and the Allman Brothers, showcasing distinctive styles. Learn about the intricate art of vocalistic guitar playing, emphasizing expression and timing. Discover how slow tempos amplify emotion in blues, and the importance of incorporating blues studies in music education for a fuller appreciation of this influential genre.
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Unusual Harmonic Twists
- "Stormy Monday" is a 12-bar blues with nonstandard twists that create a jazzier feel.
- The intro uses Eb7–D7 which resolves once the song establishes G as the home key.
Rhythmic Complexity Over Pitch Simplicity
- T-Bone Walker's solos mix simple pitch choices with extremely complex subdivisions and expressive timing.
- He bends pitches into microtonal "blue note" zones that notation struggles to capture.
Blues Scale Is A Teaching Shortcut
- The so-called blues scale is a pedagogical shorthand and not a literal rule.
- Real blues relies on bent pitch zones and microtonal inflections rather than fixed scale formulas.
