Download Introduction to Folk Music

Introduction to Folk Music
What do you think you know about folk music?
Use this ​link​ to answer the questions below.
1. What does folk music attempt to express?
Folk music attempts to express the character of ethnic and social groups and sometimes a nation.
2. How were folk songs traditionally learned? Why was this?
Folk songs were traditionally learned by listening because it is passed down the generations and
shared from one person to another and people couldn’t read or write.
3. In what ways did folk music evolve? Why would folk songs to evolve over a period of time?
Overtime, folk music tunes are shortened and lengthened, pitches and rhythms are changed, parts
of a multiple songs may combine and the lyrics/words of the song may change. Folk songs evolve
because it was by accident when passed to someone else or it was changed on purpose.
4. Explain each type folk song in the table below. You may need to search online!
Ballad
A ballad is a sad song and form of verse which is normally danced to and the
song is often narrative.
Work Song
A work song is sang when doing work to coordinate and have better timing or
could be linked to the task directly.
Prison Song
A prison song is a song which is keeps everyone in jail in a line and in order for
the prisoners to not trip from the chains connected to their ankles.
War Song
A war song is a song generally about war, whether it be the life during war,
people’s perspective on war, or for/against war. It also keeps the soldiers spirits
up as some of them may not come back and to coordinate marching.
5. Choose ​3​ regions from this ​article​, ​(​NOT​ Canada)​, and note the following information.
Region
Instrumentation
Characteristics
Performing Context
China
Mouth organs, suona,
shawms, flutes, gongs,
drums, wind/percussive
instruments, sheng,
pipes, xiao, pipa, erxian,
In china, different
regions have different
traditional songs which
are sung. Songs often
tell stories, myths and
legends. Chinese music
doesn’t have harmony.
Weddings, funerals,
parades, stories, myths,
legends.
Celtic
Guitar, bagpipe, violin.
The music describes
multiple musical genres
which came from the
traditional folk music of
Celtic People.
Folk bands would
perform these songs for
the purpose of
entertainment.
Australia
Instruments used by
particular regions or
indigenous Australian
groups.
From distinctive
traditional music to
contemporary music
which sometimes is a
Personal life stories,
mining, raising and
droving cattle, sheep
shearing, wanderings,
mix between Australia
and Europe.
war stories, conflicts,
outlaws, love interests.
6. Discuss ​1​ of the ​previous​ region’s folk music in more depth. Some information can come
straight down from question 6. You will need to do some research for the others!
Chinese Folk Music
Ex.
Ex.
Ex.
Elements of Music Table
Melody
Range: Wide
Contour: Wavelike
Movement: Conjunct (with a few leaps)
Harmony
In a solo, there is no harmony as it is just melody (unless that instrument
could play multiple notes at once) but in a band, by combining multiple
instruments, there is a lot of beautiful colours arising and complementing each
other because of the unique sounds of chinese instruments.
Texture
I believe that the texture is a combination of ​homophonic​ and ​polyphonic​ as
there is often multiple instruments playing at a time and sometimes they
support a lead (eg. drums) or they may just all have equal value and
complement each other through the harmony.
In a solo, I think the texture would be ​monophonic​ as there is only one
instrument.
Rhythm
The rhythm isn’t set as it can change and is also specific to the instrument.
For example, the drum is always staccato and often has a jumpy, impactful
rhythm while a bamboo flute may have a legato, gentle effect. By combining
multiple rhythms and instruments, chinese folk music becomes extremely
captivating.
Tempo
Chinese music has ever changing tempo within a piece, often starting slow
and building up to an extremely fast pace to give an engaging feel to the
audience. The tempo often matches with the dynamics in each phrase or
section, normally being slow when it is quite and fast whilst it is loud.
Dynamics
The dynamics in chinese folk music is often quite vivid and loud but can also
have a peaceful, quiet side too. The changes between these 2 makes the
music interesting.
Form
The form of chinese folk music is usually includes a lot of repetition with slight
variations but there is always contrast in rhythms, dynamics and tempo in the
music, making it sound nice and not too repetitive.
Instrumentation
Instruments include ​mouth organs, suona, shawms, flutes, gongs, drums,
wind/percussive instruments, sheng, pipes, xiao, pipa, erxian etc.
Timbre ​1​ / ​2
The harmony of the multiple different tone colours created by the various
unique instruments of chinese folk music creates timbre which represents
chinese culture extremely well.
Context
The chinese folk music is often played during weddings, funerals, parades
and are also a way of communicating a story/myth/legends. Furthermore,
specific areas and regions of china all have their own folk music which
demonstrate their own beliefs, culture and lifestyle.
7. After answering the previous questions, how would you describe folk music in your own
words?
I would say that folk music is very traditional music which expresses the culture of the country and
place and is constantly changing and evolving over time. Also, I believe that folk music is extremely
interesting and enjoyable to listen to even to this day as it gives you a taste of the past and brings
you back to the culture before. Folk music is also unique in a way as it is very centered around the
lifestyle of the past, without any electronics and focused on making music with traditional
instruments to create music.