bluesy

Bluesy is an adjective used to describe music or performance that exhibits characteristics associated with the blues. It can refer to a specific song, arrangement, instrument tone, or vocal delivery that evokes the blues tradition, as well as to a mood or atmosphere resembling blues aesthetics.

Musically, bluesy elements include the use of blue notes (flattened third and seventh degrees of the scale), blue scale patterns, swinging or shuffle rhythms, and phrasing that emphasizes expressiveness and bending of notes. Many bluesy passages rely on call-and-response patterns, a 12-bar blues structure, or pentatonic scales with added blue notes. The style can be present in guitar work, harmonica, piano, and vocal lines.

Contexts and genres: The term is commonly applied across genres such as blues, blues-rock, soul, funk, and jazz when the music signals blues influence. In rock and pop, a song or performance may be described as bluesy if it features blues-based guitar riffs, soulful vocals, or a melancholic mood rather than strictly following formal blues progression.

Etymology and usage: Bluesy derives from blues, with the -y suffix indicating characteristic of. It is an informal, descriptive term used in music criticism and journalism, and while widely understood, it does not denote a formal musical category.