The Golden Encyclopedia of Folk Music
Contents
The Golden Encyclopedia of Folk Music is the perfect resource for music lovers of all ages. This comprehensive guide includes everything from traditional folk music to more modern styles.
The Origins of Folk Music
Folk music has its roots in the music of the people who immigrated to the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This music was brought over by people from countries like Ireland, Italy, Germany, and England. It was also influenced by the music of the Native Americans and the African Americans.
The British Isles
The British Isles have a particularly rich and varied musical heritage. Celtic music, for example, has its roots in the music of the ancient Celts, who inhabited what is now Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall. Celtic music is characterized by its use of the pentatonic scale (a scale with five notes per octave), which gives it a distinctive sound. Other musical traditions from the British Isles include English Morris dancing (a form of folk dance) and sea shanties (traditional songs sung by sailors).
The United States
The United States is home to many different styles of folk music, from the traditional sounds of the Appalachian Mountains to the contemporary songs of the urban streets. Folk music has been an important part of American culture for centuries, and it continues to influence the country’s musical landscape.
The roots of American folk music can be traced back to the traditions of Europe and Africa. Early European settlers brought with them their own folk songs, as well as instruments like the fiddle and banjo. African slaves brought their own musical traditions, which often blended with European folk music to create new styles.
One of the most significant influences on American folk music was the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. These immigrants brought with them traditional songs and dances that would eventually become staples of American folk music. Irish and Scottish folk music also influenced the development of country music, which became popular in the early 20th century.
Folk music continued to evolve in the 20th century, as artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger began introducing new influences from jazz, blues, and other genres. The popularity of folk music waxed and waned throughout the century, but it remained an important part of American culture. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in folk music, as performers like Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan continue to bring this timeless style of music to new audiences.
The Characteristics of Folk Music
Folk music is usually passed down orally from one generation to the next. Folk music is usually about the everyday life of the people and is usually a reflection of their culture. Folk music is usually simple in melody and rhythm.
Lyrics
Folk music is the music of the people, and its lyric content is just as varied as the lives of the people who sing it. The songs may be about love, loss, work, play, or any other aspect of human experience, and they are usually passed down from person to person by oral tradition. Many folk songs are anonymous, but some are attributed to particular individuals or groups. One of the earliest known examples of folk lyrics is the Anglo-Saxon poem “The Seafarer,” which was written down in the eleventh century but probably dates back to an earlier time.
One of the most important aspects of folk music is its ability to reflect the values and concerns of a particular community. For example, many American folk songs are about workers’ rights and social justice issues. These songs often served as a way for people to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo and to rally support for change. “Bread and Roses,” written by James Oppenheim in 1912, is one such song; it became an anthem for striking workers during the early twentieth century.
Many folk songs are also about love, both romantic and platonic. These songs often deal with universal themes such as young love, heartbreak, and unrequited love. “Barbara Allen,” a traditional ballad from England, is one of the best-known examples of a folk song about unrequited love; it tells the story of a young woman who dies of a broken heart after her true love fails to return her affections.
Folk music can also be used to tell stories or convey moral messages. “The Wife of Usher’s Well,” a Scottish ballad, tells the story of a woman who goes to great lengths to save her husband from death; it is thought to be a cautionary tale about otherworldly forces beyond our control. Similarly, “The Golden Vanity,” an English ballad from the seventeenth century, tells the story of pirates who repent their ways after stealing a ship that belongs to an infant prince. This song is often interpreted as being about greed and redemption.
Melody
Folk music is characterized by its use of traditional musical forms and by the presence of music in which the words are set to an established melodic line. The melody may be accompanied by a bass line or harmony, or it may stand alone. The folk singer often uses his or her own voice as an instrument, shaping the sounds to fit the words and the melody.
Harmony
Folk music is characterized by a simple, straightforward melody, usually accompanied by chords that are played on either a guitar or Piano. The chords in folk music are usually very basic, consisting of just a few notes. This simplicity gives folk music its folksy feel and makes it easy to play and sing.
The Instruments of Folk Music
Folk music is a genre of music that is typically passed down from generation to generation orally. Folk music is usually associated with acoustic instruments such as the guitar, banjo, fiddle, and harmonica. These instruments are often used to create a rustic, down-home sound.
The Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument with a long neck and a flat or slightly rounded body. It is the most popular folk instrument in the world, and has been used for centuries in a wide variety of musical styles.
There are many different types of guitars, but the most common is the acoustic guitar. This is the type of guitar most often used in folk music. It is played by plucking the strings with the fingers or with a pick.
The acoustic guitar has a hollow body that amplifies the sound of the strings. The sound hole is usually round or oval-shaped, and is located on the face of the guitar just below the strings. There are also electric guitars, which have metal pickups that convert the vibration of the strings into an electrical signal that can be amplified. Electric guitars are often used in rock and blues music.
Guitars are usually made from wood, although some cheaper models may be made from plastic or other materials. The top of the guitar is called the soundboard, and this is where most of the sound comes from. The back and sides of the guitar are called the ribs. The neck is attached to the body at one end, and at the other end it has a headstock, which holds tuning pegs that can be turned to tighten or loosen the strings.
Folk musicians often play simple versions of songs on their guitars, using just a few chords. More complex folk guitar playing involves fingerpicking, or using a pick to play individual notes or melodies on top of a chord progression.
The Banjo
The banjo is thought to have originated in Africa, and was brought to the Americas by African slaves. It is a stringed instrument with a drum-like body that is typically played with the fingers or a pick. The banjo has long been associated with country, folk, and bluegrass music, and is one of the most recognisable instruments in American music.
The Fiddle
The fiddle is the most popular folk instrument in the world. It is a member of the violin family and is played with a bow. The fiddle was first mentioned in literature in the 11th century, and by the 14th century it was the most popular instrument in Europe.
Fiddles are used in many different genres of music, including classical, jazz, rock, and country. They are particularly associated with Celtic music, and are an important part of Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton music. Many traditional fiddle tunes have been passed down through the generations, and new tunes are constantly being created.
Fiddles come in many different sizes and shapes, but all have four strings tuned to the same pitches as a violin: GDAE. The G string is usually tuned an octave higher than a violin’s G string. Fiddles can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, or metal.
Fiddlers can learn to play by ear or by reading music notation. Learning to play by ear is generally more common in folk styles of playing, while classical fiddlers will usually learn to read music.
The fiddle is a versatile instrument that can be used for solo playing, accompaniment, or for ensemble work. Fiddlers often play together in groups called “sessions,” where they take turns playing melodies and improvising accompaniment parts.
The Styles of Folk Music
Folk music comes in many different styles, from the lively ‘jig’ and ‘reel’ of Irish and Scottish music, to the slow and mournful ‘blues’ of the American south. In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the different styles of folk music from around the world.
Celtic
Celtic folk music is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded popular music. Irishimmigrants to the United States brought Celtic music to American shores in the nineteenth century.
Celtic music is characterized by a strong rhythmical element, often with drums and other percussion instruments; by the use of melodic instruments such as fiddles, flutes, and bagpipes; and by songs with Celtic-language lyrics. The genre includes both traditional folk songs—such as “The Black Velvet Band” and “She Moved Through the Fair”—and contemporary songs written in a traditional style, such as “Danny Boy” and “The Wild Rover.”
While there are many different subgenres of Celtic music—such as Scottish Highland music, Irish rebel music, and Welsh Eisteddfod music—the term is generally used to refer to the musical traditions of Ireland and Scotland.
Appalachian
Appalachian folk music is a genre of American folk music that developed in the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It is derived from various European, African, and Native American musical traditions, and has been widely influenced by country music, bluegrass, and gospel music.
Appalachian folk music is characterized by its use of the fiddle and banjo, as well as its focus on ballads and dance tunes. The genre has its roots in the British and Irish folk music traditions that were brought to the Appalachian Mountains by English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Appalachian folk music has been particularly influential on country music and bluegrass, both of which have developed out of the Appalachian tradition. Appalachian folk songs have also been adapted into popular songs by a number of different artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Paul Simon.
Blues
The blues is a style of music that has been influential in the development of many other genres of music including jazz, rock and roll, and country. It originated in the United States in the late 19th century and is characterized by a slow tempo, soulful singing, and guitar-based rhythms. The blues can be divided into two main categories: country blues and city blues. Country blues is characterized by its rural themes and often features slide guitar playing. City blues, on the other hand, is typically more up-tempo with electric guitar playing a more prominent role.
The Performers of Folk Music
Folk music has been around for centuries and is still being performed today. There are many different performers of folk music, from solo artists to bands. Some of the most famous performers of folk music are Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Woody Guthrie.
Joan Baez
Joan Baez is an American Folk singer and songwriter who has been performing since the late 1950s. Baez’s recordings and live performances helped popularize both the folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s and the protest movement against the Vietnam War. Throughout her career, she has been an outspoken advocate for a wide range of social causes, including civil rights, feminism, human rights, poverty, and environmentalism.
Born in New York City on January 9, 1941, to a father of Mexican descent and a mother of Scottish and English ancestry, Baez grew up in a family with a strong interest in music. Her father, Albert Baez, was a professional musician and led a highly accomplished string quartet; her mother was also musical and had sung in opera choruses. As children, Joan and her sister Mimi often sang together at family gatherings; by age ten, Joan was playing guitar. In 1957, the family moved to Boston so that Albert could take a position at the Harvard Medical School.
It was while she was living in Boston that Baez began performing publicly as a folksinger at clubs such as Club 47 (now known as Passim). In 1959 she released her self-titled debut album, which included the single “Silver Dagger.” The album sold moderately well but did not make Baez a household name. It wasn’t until 1961 that she released her second album—Joan Baez in Concert—which helped to launch her career. The live album featured several songs that would become folk standards, including “Carry It On” and “We Shall Overcome.” It also introduced audiences to Baez’s characteristic style of fingerpicking on guitar as well as her marked vocal vibrato—a style that would come to be imitated by many other female folk singers who followed in her wake.
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in 1912. He was exposed to many different types of music while growing up, including the traditional folk songs of the working people in the American South and West. These songs made a deep impression on him, and he began collecting them and writing his own songs. In the 1930s, Guthrie became a member of the young group of folk singers known as the “Weavers.” With their simple arrangements and clear vocals, they popularized many traditional folk songs and helped to make folk music a part of mainstream popular culture.
Lead Belly
Lead Belly was born Huddie William Ledbetter on January 20, 1888, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. Lead Belly became interested in music at an early age and learned to play the instrument called the 12-string guitar, or “Lead Belly” guitar. He began his career playing with various bands in Texas and Louisiana. In 1918 he was convicted of murder and sent to prison. While in prison, he met musicologist John Lomax, who recognized his talent and helped to launch his career.
Lead Belly was released from prison in 1934 and went on to enjoy a successful career as a performer of folk music. He achieved particular success with his recordings of traditional folk songs such as “Midnight Special” and “Goodnight, Irene”, which were popularized by other artists such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Lead Belly died of Lou Gehrig’s disease on December 6, 1949.
