Which style of music rooted in African American spirituals and noted for its melancholy sound, call and response, and 12-bar harmonic progression?

• A. Blues
• B. Impressionist Music
• C. Neoclassical Music
• D. Classical Music

Answer: (A)

Blues is the style described. It grew out of African American spirituals and work songs, and it carries a mournful, expressive mood. A key feature is call-and-response, often between the vocalist and the instruments or between sections of the ensemble, echoing the communal roots of spirituals. The harmonic backbone is the 12-bar progression, a repeating pattern built on the I, IV, and V chords that creates a familiar twelve-bar form for verses and improvisation. The use of blue notes—flattened third, fifth, and seventh—adds the distinctive sorrowful color and expressive bending. These elements—spiritual origins, call-and-response, blue notes, and the 12-bar structure—set blues apart from European-origin styles like Impressionist, Neoclassical, or Classical music.