I found this at a harp site. It gives more detail but , is still alittle unclear to me how the call response ties in with the I,IV,V chords
As blues music matured from the simple acoustic style of the lone Delta
bluesman to the electrified ensemble of Chicago blues, a pattern similar to
that of the work chants remained prominent. If you denote the "call" phrase
with an "A" and the response with a "B", the call-response pattern was most
often A-A-B, and sometimes A-B-A, or A-B-B. So the "call" phrase is often
repeated twice and then resolved by the "response" phrase. Another
characteristic of a prototypical blues tune is the I-IV-V chord sequence
which is played in time with the lyrics as they are sung. That "blue note"
is often used by the singer or guitar soloist to accentuate the musical
tension in the call that is relieved by the response, in a cyclic fashion,
so that the song repeats the A and B phrases along with the I-IV-V
progression. All this is to a strong beat that is often accentuated on the
"off-beat" by the drummer and/or the other instruments. Accentuating the
off-beat enhances the tension of the song, too. Blues isn't supposed to be
a "comfortable" music. That's part of the feeling--the tension and its
release.
Instruments frequently take or augment the "call" and "response" roles of
the lyrics and supply the basic I-IV-V chordal progression and beat. Along
with the vocalist, the guitar often functions as the instrument issuing the
"call" and the other instruments act in the "response" role. The harmonica
is often the primary "response" instrument, augmenting and highlighting the
lead singer and/or guitar player. Sometimes in the hands of a particularly
strong player, the harp can become the "calling" or lead instrument. Little
Walter and Rice Miller are good examples in the time period I am about to
suggest that you study. In any case you can still easily identify the A-A-B
pattern of the lyrics and instrumentals.
I think the site is called Bluenotes
allthumbs
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