The folk tradition
- Folk music of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Channel Islands) was passed on by ear, from person to person: the oral tradition. Songs changed as they were passed on.
- Types: ballads that tell stories, work songs, sea shanties (call and response songs sung by sailors while working), and dance tunes.
- Dance tunes include jigs (in 6/8), reels (in 4/4) and hornpipes.
- Guernsey has its own traditional songs, some in Guernésiais, the island's own language.
Features you can hear
- Melodies often use modes (such as Dorian or Mixolydian) instead of major or minor keys.
- Songs are usually strophic: the same tune for every verse. Harmony is simple, and some songs are sung unaccompanied.
- Drones (a held note underneath), ornaments such as grace notes and rolls, and the singer's own decoration.
- Instruments: fiddle, accordion, concertina, tin whistle, acoustic guitar, harp, bodhrán (an Irish frame drum), uilleann pipes (Ireland) and bagpipes (Scotland).
Contemporary folk
- In the 1960s folk revival, singers recorded and performed traditional songs and wrote new ones in the same style.
- Folk rock adds electric guitars, bass and drum kit to folk songs and tunes.
- Contemporary folk can mix traditional instruments with modern production, but it keeps modal melodies, storytelling lyrics and dance rhythms.
Key terms
- Oral tradition
- Music passed on by ear rather than written down.
- Ballad
- A song that tells a story.
- Sea shanty
- A work song sung by sailors, often with call and response.
- Jig
- A lively folk dance tune in 6/8.
- Reel
- A fast folk dance tune in 4/4.
- Mode
- A scale that is neither major nor minor, such as Dorian.
- Strophic
- Every verse is sung to the same tune.
- Bodhrán
- An Irish frame drum.
Quick questions on Contemporary folk music of the British Isles
- How was folk music traditionally passed on?
- By ear, from person to person: This is the oral tradition.
- What is a ballad?
- A song that tells a story: Many folk songs are ballads.
- What is a sea shanty?
- A work song sung by sailors, often with call and response: It kept the crew working together.
- What time signature is a jig usually in?
- 6/8: Two groups of three quavers.
- What is a mode?
- A scale that is neither major nor minor, such as Dorian: Modal melodies are common in folk.
- What does strophic mean?
- Every verse is sung to the same tune: It suits story songs.
- Which instrument is an Irish frame drum?
- Bodhrán: It is played with a short stick.
- Which instrument is common in British folk music?
- Fiddle: Accordion and tin whistle are common too.
Practise Contemporary folk music of the British Isles: 10 questions