Deals with the Devil: A Brief Musical History
Polyphonic
7 min, 53 sec
The video discusses historical tales of musicians allegedly making pacts with the Devil for musical talent, and promotes Skillshare's learning platform.
Summary
- Skillshare offers a two-month trial to the first 260 people who sign up, helping them learn new skills such as starting a YouTube channel.
- Tales of the Devil's interest in music include the Devil Went Down to Georgia and stories of musicians like Johann Faust, Giuseppe Tartini, and Niccolò Paganini.
- Blues musicians Tommy and Robert Johnson are rumored to have made deals with the Devil for their guitar skills, influencing the Mississippi Delta blues.
- Robert Johnson's life, skills, and mysterious death at 27 contribute to the legend of his deal with the Devil.
- The video concludes by encouraging viewers to sign up for Skillshare to learn new skills, including video editing software like Premiere and After Effects.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Introduction to the Devil's historical association with music and introduction to the tales of musicians making pacts with the Devil.
- Folktales often portray the Devil as having an interest in music, influencing various genres and famous songs.
- The concept of making a deal with the Devil in music has a rich history and has been a persistent story for centuries.
Chapter 3
The origin of devil deals in Western mythology and their appearance in music.
- Johann Faust's alleged pact with Mephistopheles sparked the legend in the late 1500s, later popularized by Christopher Marlowe's play.
- Giuseppe Tartini claimed the Devil appeared in his dream, leading to the creation of the 'Devil's Trill Sonata'.
- Niccolò Paganini's extraordinary violin skills and peculiar appearance fueled rumors of a demonic pact.
Chapter 4
The continuation of the devil deal legend with blues musicians in the Mississippi Delta.
- Tommy Johnson's brother spread the legend of Tommy's pact with the Devil, enhancing his guitar skills.
- Robert Johnson, unrelated to Tommy, became a blues legend with rumored supernatural assistance in his guitar playing.
Chapter 5
The lasting impact of Robert Johnson's legend and the final promotion of Skillshare's educational offerings.
- Robert Johnson's music, which includes references to his dealings with the Devil, left a significant imprint on the blues genre.
- Skillshare promotes their platform for learning new skills, highlighting video editing courses for YouTube channel creation.
- Skillshare offers two months free for the first 260 sign-ups and then a continued subscription at $10 a month.