The Best of 19th Century American Folk Music

A collection of the best American folk music from the 19th century.

The Origins of Folk Music

Folk music has its origins in the 19th century, and it was shaped by the people who immigrated to the United States at that time. Folk music is a blend of many different styles of music, including Celtic, English, Scottish, Irish, and African.

The British Isles

Folk music has been around for centuries, with its roots stretching back to the British Isles. In the 19th century, American folk music began to take shape, influenced by the music of Scotland, Ireland, and England. This new style of music was characterized by its simple melodies and lyrics, and its focus on stories about everyday life.

One of the most popular genres of folk music in the 19th century was ballads. Ballads are narrative songs that tell a story, often involving love, loss, or tragedy. Many of the best-known American folk songs are ballads, including “Barbara Allen” and “The House of the Rising Sun.”

Another important form of folk music in the 19th century was work songs. These songs were sung by laborers as they worked, and they typically had a strong rhythm that helped to keep workers moving. Work songs were an important part of African American culture, and they often contained elements of blues and gospel music.

Despite its humble origins, folk music played an important role in the development of many different genres in the 20th century. Folk musicians like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger influenced musicians in other genres, including rock and roll, country, and blues. Folk music also served as an inspiration for artists in other disciplines, such as visual artists and writers.

The United States

The term “folk music” can be used to describe a wide variety of musical genres from around the world. In America, folk music has its roots in the songs of the early settlers who came to the continent from Europe in the 1600s. These songs were generally about everyday life and were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Many of America’s most popular folk songs, such as “Barbara Allen” and “Wild Mountain Thyme,” have their origins in this era.

The 1800s was a time of great change in America, and folk music reflected this change. As more and more people began to move westward in search of new opportunities, they took their music with them. Folk songs about life on the frontier, such as “Oh Susanna” and “Home on the Range,” became popular among settlers. At the same time, African Americans were experiencing their own period of change as they were forced to leave their homes in the South and move to Northern cities in search of work. This led to the development of a new type of folk music known as the blues, which featured a distinctive sound that was a mix of African and European musical traditions.

By the early 1900s, folk music had become an important part of American culture. Folk songs were being performed by both professional and amateur musicians all across the country. One of the most famous folk singers of this era was Woody Guthrie, who is best known for his song “This Land Is Your Land.” Folk music continued to be popular in America throughout the 20th century, and it remains an important part of our culture today.

The Development of Folk Music

The 19th century was a time of great change in America. This was the time of the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of the American West. Along with these changes came a new kind of music: folk music. Folk music is the music of the people, and it reflects the everyday lives of the people who create it.

The 18th Century

The 18th century was a time of great change in America, and this is reflected in the music of the time. Early American folk music was a mix of English, Scottish, and Irish traditions, brought over by immigrants. This music was usually passed down orally, from one generation to the next.

As America began to grow and expand westward, new influences were added to the mix. African Americans made a significant contribution to American folk music, with the introduction of elements such as call and response and syncopation. Native American music also had an impact on folk traditions.

All of these different influences came together to create a uniquely American form of music that would lay the foundation for all future genres.

The 19th Century

The origins of American folk music can be traced back to the 18th century, when the first European settlers arrived in North America. Folk music of that era was typically rooted in the traditions of England, Ireland and Scotland. As the settlers moved westward, they brought with them their musical traditions, which evolved over time into what we now know as folk music.

During the 19th century, folk music became increasingly popular, as more and more people were exposed to it through traveling minstrel shows and other entertainment venues. At the same time, a number of factors were beginning to change the sound of American folk music. One was the growing popularity of bluegrass, a style that would come to be associated with Appalachian mountain music. Another was the increasing influence of African-American culture on folk music, particularly in the form of blues and gospel.

The most significant event in the history of American folk music, however, was probably the rise of commercial recording technologies in the early 20th century. This made it possible for folk musicians to reach a much wider audience than ever before, and helped to fuel a resurgence of interest in traditional folk styles.

The Characteristics of Folk Music

Folk music is a musical genre that emerged in the 19th century. It is characterized by its simple melodies and harmonies, as well as its lyrics, which are often about everyday life. Folk music is often passed down from generation to generation, and it has been a influence on many other genres of music.

Lyrics

Folk songs often have lyrics that tell a story, and they often paint a picture of rural life in America. The lyrics usually deal with themes of love, loss, work, and nature. Many of the songs are about real people and events, and they often reflect the singer’s personal experience. Folk music is also known for its use of metaphor and simile, and for its humor.

Melody

Folk music is known for its simple melodies, often passed down orally from generation to generation. These tunes are usually built around a strong central hook, or “riff,” that is easy to remember and sing. Folk songs often use simple chord progressions, making them easy to play on a variety of instruments.

Folk tunes are also often very repetitive, with each verse or chorus repeating the same few lines over and over. This repetition is part of what makes folk songs so easy to remember and sing along to. It also allows folk musicians to improvise and add their own personal touches to the music.

Harmony

Folk music is known for its simple melodies and harmonies. Most folk songs only use a few chords, and the melodies are usually based on major or minor scales. This simplicity makes folk music easy to sing and play, and it also allows for a lot of improvisation. Folk songs often have a slow, relaxed tempo, and the rhythm is usually very simple. This is one of the reasons why folk music is so popular with young children.

The Popularity of Folk Music

One of the most popular genres of music in the 19th century was Folk music. Folk music is a genre of music that is passed down orally from generation to generation. Folk music is usually about the everyday life of the people who sing it. The songs are often about love, loss, work, and death. Folk music was very popular in the 19th century because it was a way for people to connect with their heritage.

The 20th Century

Folk music continued to evolve in the 20th century. New styles were developed by groups such as the Carter Family and The Stanley Brothers in the Appalachian Mountains, who fused mountain music with blues and gospel to create a new sound that came to be known as bluegrass. In the Southwestern United States, groups such as The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield blended country with elements of rock & roll to create a style known as country-rock. Also in the 1960s, Bob Dylan popularized a new style of folk music—folk rock—by melding traditional folk themes with electric instrumentation and rocked-up arrangements, paving the way for artists like Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, and Joan Baez.

The popularity of folk music waned in the 1970s due largely to the advent of pop-oriented singer/songwriter acts like James Taylor, Carole King, and others, who appropriated elements of folk into their own mellow pop/rock sound. In response to this trend, a number of young musicians turned to so-called traditional or old-timey music in an effort to recapture the earthy energy and simple pleasures of acoustic folk; this approach was christened new old-time or neo-traditional music, and its most successful practitioner was undoubtedly Alison Krauss. At the same time, world music began coming into its own as a commercial entity in America due largely to the efforts of Paul Simon, whose 1986 album Graceland incorporated South African flavors into his trademark pop craftsmanship.

The 21st Century

The 21st century has seen a renewed interest in folk music. This is likely due in part to the growing popularity of Americana and roots music. Genres such as country, bluegrass, and folk have become increasingly popular in recent years, and this has helped to boost the popularity of folk music.

While folk music has always been popular in certain pockets of the United States, it has only recently begun to gain mainstream traction. In the past decade or so, there have been a number of breakout folk artists who have found commercial success. These artists have helped to introduce folk music to a wider audience and prove that it can be both popular and accessible.

The popularity of folk music is likely to continue into the future as more people discover its charms. If you’re looking for something different from the mainstream, give folk music a try – you might just find yourself a new favorite genre!