Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [folk]

Folk music includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. The term originated in the 19th century but is often applied to music that is older than that. Some types of folk music are also called world music.

Folk music includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. The term originated in the 19th century but is often applied to music that is older than that. Some types of folk music are also called world music.

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What makes a song sound "folk-y"?

Are there distinctive traits (melodies, scales, chord progressions, rhythm, techniques) that set the genre of folk music apart?
RogerWang
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In a folk jam session, when asked which key my non-transposing chromatic instrument (like a violin) is in, what do I answer?

I know of transposing instruments. A transposing instrument is one where the player reads a C, plays a C, and what sounds is the name of the key of the instrument. Those instruments are often referred to with the key in their name, for example Bb…
Amedee Van Gasse
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Why does American traditional music (e.g. old-time fiddle, folk, bluegrass, etc.) exclude drumming?

I'm a trained percussionist who for years has appreciated traditional American folk music. I've also been frustrated for years by the complete lack of any drums in this music. I've searched the web and found no good answers. I recognize any answer…
Scott Wilkinson
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What is this very long pipe instrument?

In at 15:25 there is a very long pipe instrument with no holes. It is supposedly a folk instrument from Argentina since the piece is Misa Criolla by Ramirez, which relies on a lot on Argentinian folk music. What is it called? Screenshot for those…
user1803551
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How to avoid excessive bow-hair damage when playing "scratch percussion" on string instruments?

Prominently featured in Bluegrass fiddle playing, the ever-so-feared noise of a bow "squaking" over the strings can be used to produce distinctive, yet surprisingly sweet percussive accents if well controlled. (Especially 5:20) I start to get the…
leftaroundabout
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What characterises Irish drumming?

A bunch of my friends are into Irish music, including irish punk/rock (like the Pogues), as well as more folky stuff. I play (kit) drums, and would like to be able join in. I've tried, but I'm not really familiar with the style, and I end up just…
naught101
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Where does the opening solo of the Rite of Spring come from?

In Tom Service's commentary to the BBC Proms 2013 performance of the Rite of Spring, he starts off with something I had no idea of: The best bassoon solo ever? It sounds otherworldly: but it's actually a Lithuanian wedding song… (TS)…
E.P.
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Analysis of Scarborough Fair

I'm attempting to figure out what is going on in terms of harmony with this song. This is the best I have managed so far (supposing a tonal center of A): Chords are: Am Em G Am C Am D Em …
P i
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How much of classical Arabic maqam music is improvised?

I am listening to a piece of music sung in maqam bayat (or bayati). It's Psalm 126, which is 7 verses long, but the piece takes about 10 minutes and sounds very improvisatory. This is similar to other examples of music in a maqam, so I'm…
Mauro Braunstein
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Does it make sense to play folk music by yourself on the violin?

I played the violin as a child, and now I'm trying to pick it up again. However, most of the music and notes I have are for classical music, which is what I played back then. So for instance I have been working on Franz Wohlfahrt's "Sixty Studies…
user69667
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How is the starting pitch chosen/remembered for music sung in Abenaki culture?

I'm learning to sing and teach to children several Abenaki songs. I was careful to be authentic in sourcing them, and am working through a book and audio recordings prepared by a Penobscot elder and singer. So, I can say quite confidently that I…
nuggethead
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Where can I learn to write chord progressions like Bob Dylan?

Let me start off by saying that I have no folk background, and I am not aware of the rich tradition of folk or folk-rock. That being said, I understand that, similar to the blues tradition, there are some standard progressions (and standard…
286642
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What characterizes American folk music?

It seems the American folk genre is pretty diverse, from Bob Dylan (and much earlier!) to more modern musicians like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. Specifically, I want to know if there are certain stylistic traits (melodies, chord progressions, rhythm,…
RogerWang
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Is there a standardized way to write sheet music for musical spoons?

The spoons are a percussion instrument common in folk music around the world. Often, the spoons can create lines similar to a snare drum cadence, but with the addition of different body strikes and cup effects. I'm interested in finding out whether…
Drake P
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Are there folk music families, analogous to language families?

A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestral language or parental language, called the proto-language of that family. The term "family" reflects the tree model of language origination in historical…
Modal Nest
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