Research Paper - What Is R&b?

Introduction

Nowadays, music is a necessary part of everyone's daily life; it helps people making a good mood, it also can helps releasing the pressure of work. For most of people, music is an expression of entertainment. People use it to express everything that they experience. No matter happy or sad, no matter anger or sorrow. Music is the best platform to transmit those. Who would not want to associated with their favorite music and enjoy in their own world? Who can stand up to the temptation of good music? R&B is a kind of music like that.

"Just listen to Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing" or to Aretha Franklin performing "Midnight Train to Georgia", and its obvious why soul and R&B pack such a fervent punch, one that hits you just around the solar plexus of emotion. With its heartfelt message, and a seductive groove, it's not surprising that soul and R&B have crossed over to a wide range of audiences" (Larkin, 1998).

Many people know and love this musical form, with the changing times, people no longer stronger to this western pop music which from black culture. People begin to understand and explore this most free and powerful music. In order to let everyone has a better understanding about it, the following articles will do a presentation for its origin, development, influence and relevant historical background.

What is R&B?

R&B not just a simple musical type, It should be a mixture which combining with several music elements.

"The whole name of R&B is the Rhythm and Blues, generally translated as Blues of Rhythm; the early R&B even does not have a name. It's just a simple form of singing..."（Jing, 2002）.

It means nobody cares its birth and just sung it to each other. However, it spread rapidly and widely when the name R&B appeared. Now, R & B has become a synonym for black popular music, it is more as a distinguished for rap, soul, Urban Song and rock. On the other hand, It still has special connection with those. For example, according to Handy side's book R&B and SOUL"R&B was the most important influence on the rock "n" roll genre..."(Handyside,2007), It shows that R & B not only an important transition between blues and rock , but also the most important branch of blues and soul music. Moreover, like Rap and Hip-hop which most popular musical type are derived from R&B, and also holds a lot of R&B elements.

The origin of R&B

The origin of R&B is a tool for people to release emotion. "R & B's predecessor appear in the 40's African-American district, at that time, most people can't afford colorful entertainment"（Jing, 2002）, It is obvious that money is most essential factor to do it. So, how can the poor guy kill the leisure time? the only way they can do is someone who love music will gathered on the streets use sample musical instrument like guitar and harmonica to play music, because It can be an expression of life, work, leave their homes and various feelings. So was born the blues. "For the first generation of black jazz musicians, they want to express emotional content strongly through the blues music"（ Zhu, 2002）. Later, with the invention of the tape and a growing number of small stations, the blues music began to jump out of the black circle and popularity in other place. Maybe the blues music too sad, fans want to hear a kind of song which not only have strong and lively beat, but also very happy, no sad.

"Musicians adapt to public taste, adding piano, drums, saxophone and the new technology - electric guitar in music, in order to the audience can dance with such a sense of rhythm and strong new breed of blues music" （Jing, 2002）

That's why today's R&B with various beautiful instruments, actually, there is no limited about which instrument can use in R&B, even no instrument's help, artist still can write out wonderful song.

The development of R&B

From the explanation of the R&B, the blues is undoubtedly an important part of it, but please don't forget the jazz elements are important too.

"The first R & B artists is from the "Big Band" (a kind of music form) and "swing jazz"(a kind of music form) area,