In the technical literature about folklore, the terms version, variant, and form may be used to express degrees of relationship. In colloquial discussions of folk songs (or tales), the terms variant and version are used to highlight the differences in ways of singing the same song (or telling the same story). Each performance of a song may be unique. In each region of a country, community, village, or family, and even in the repertory of each singer over time, it may have significant differences. Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Washington, D.C.īecause a folk song lives largely through oral transmission, it ordinarily does not exist in a standard form. Transmission and variationįiddle rendition of the folk song “Barbara Allen,” performed by Henry Reed recorded by Alan Jabbour at Reed's home in Glen Lyn, Virginia, 1967.

An important characteristic of a song or piece in traditional folk culture is, thus, its dependence on acceptance by a community-that is, by a village, nation, or family-and its tendency to change as it is passed from one individual to another and performed. Any new song would be likely to undergo this process of communal re-creation.

As a result, it might become shorter or more like new styles of popular or church music, for example. Numerous influences acted on a song, including creativity, forgetfulness, previously learned songs, and stylistic expectations. More likely, however, as it was passed from parents to children and to friends and associates and coworkers, it would be changed.

Once introduced, a song could be easily dropped from the repertory. The form of a folk song as heard at any one time, however, is likely to have been very much affected by the entire community because of its life in oral tradition. The repertory of a folk community probably always included songs of very diverse origins. It has become clear, however, that folk songs and other pieces are the result of individual creation, either by villagers or by professional or church musicians whose work is somehow taken up in the folk culture. Where a folk song originated is rarely known to its community, and thus the anonymity of the creative process was once considered a major criterion of folk music identification.

General characteristics of folk music Creation and adaptation Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.

Work from home song genre