1. Call-and-Response: This technique, where one person sings a phrase and a group responds, is common in African music and is a fundamental aspect of blues.
2. Improvisation: Both African and blues music emphasize the significance of improvisation. Musicians in both genres use their instruments and voices to improvise spontaneous melodic and rhythmic variations.
3. Polyrhythms: African music frequently employs complex rhythmic patterns involving multiple rhythms played simultaneously. This influence is evident in the intricate rhythmic structures of blues, particularly in the interplay between drums, guitars, and vocals.
4. Syncopation: Syncopated rhythms, where the emphasis falls on off-beats or unexpected moments within a measure, are a characteristic of both African and blues music.
5. Vocal Styles: African music's expressive and emotive vocal styles, including bending notes, melisma (rapid succession of notes), and guttural sounds, influenced the vocal techniques used in blues music.
6. Instrument: Several instruments used in blues, such as the banjo, are adaptations of African instruments like the ngoni. Drums and rattles, which are essential to African music, are also utilized in blues.
7. Spiritual Elements: African musical practices often incorporated religious and spiritual beliefs and rituals. These elements influenced the profound emotional and spiritual nature of blues music.
8. Tonal Structures: The use of specific scales, such as the pentatonic scale, and unique harmonic progressions in African music impacted the development of blues melodies and harmonies.
9. Cultural Context: The communal and participatory nature of African music, where music was played during celebrations, ceremonies, and everyday life, influenced the social role and significance of blues in African-American communities.
10. Cultural Exchange: The transatlantic slave trade brought enslaved Africans from various regions together and allowed them to share their musical traditions. This amalgamation of musical elements and ideas played a crucial role in shaping the development of blues music.
Overall, the blues is a musical form deeply rooted in African musical traditions. The influence of African music is reflected in the various musical features and practices that define the blues genre.