Traditional Folk
tagStarted 19th centuryPeak 1900–1965Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Traditional folk is the repertory-centered lane of folk music: songs carried by oral or local transmission, simple modal or pentatonic melodies, repeated stanzas, and arrangements that rarely overpower the tune.
History
In the United States the style drew on British and Irish ballads, African American vernacular traditions, hymns, children’s games, and regional dance music, all reshaped by local singers over generations.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair — Jean RitchieSpotifyYouTube
- Single Girl, Married Girl — The Carter FamilySpotifyYouTube
- Shady Grove — Doc WatsonSpotifyYouTube
- Little Sadie — Clarence AshleySpotifyYouTube
- I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground — Bascom Lamar LunsfordSpotifyYouTube
- Barbara Allen — Texas GladdenSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Britannica
- Library of Congress
- Smithsonian Folkways. citeturn10search2turn9search2turn0search16