Table of Contents

Introduction. Part 1 The historical background: Europe and the Near East, including the Arab world of the Middle Ages, British folk music; Africa, including the Afro-Arab culture, some fundamentals of African music; North America, including white and black music, instrumental and vocal music. Part 2 The theoretical foundation: the matrix; modality; wholeness; the beat. Part 3 The blues: the uniqueness of the blues, including blues in American music, blues mode and the twelve-bar form; African origins of the blues, including the talking blues, blues accompaniment, Afro-American rhythm; British origins of the blues, including proto-rock and roll; blues harmony, including the history of Gregory Walker, primitive harmony; the riddle of the twelve-bar blues. Part 4 Parlour music and ragtime: the parlour modes; parlour harmony; parlour rhythm; ragtime; some final reflections. List of musical examples. Works cited. Glossary. Index.