What is Folk? (lyrics, country, quote, bands, 1990)

[Sneer]

What is folk to you? give a definition and what it does for you.

for me folk is music is traditional music made for places not affected by mass communication and/or excessive commercialisation. its music for the people- by the people. i like it because folk lyrics are on areas and subjects anyone can relate to. their real and relevant to society

[TheBig3]

I never really thought of it in a scientific manner, but usually I just say folk is as minimal as it gets. Human + Instrument = folk. Though I do feel bands like Counting Crows are folk bands, I'd have to think about it more.

[blackTshirt]

yeah that's what i think too
it's something that makes me think of the country side, but in a good way (and i'm not talking about country music) i mean when i say folk i see a man in jeans and a shirt with a guitar in his hand singing something sad and not loud...

it's something that appears to be simple but it's not.

[TheBig3]

To quote Keith Richards, "that little peice of wood and that hole, thats truth", he was taling about acoustic guitars but the point is, the acoustic instument is a trademark of folk, whether its a piano, guitar, banjo or harmonica. Its all about truth, both musically and lyrically. Thats what I'd say folk is, its truth and honesty.

[Sneer]

truth and honesty..same thing? anyway, i agree with you, its a musical outlet for emotion in its purest form.

[Tommyrocker]

If anyone knows my dad, ask him - he likes folk music he knows his stuff

Now according to wikipedia.....

Charles Seeger (1980) describes three contemporary defining criteria of folk music (Middleton 1990, p.127-8):

A "schema comprising four musical types: 'primitive' or 'tribal'; 'elite' or 'art'; 'folk'; and 'popular'. Usually...folk music is associated with a lower class in societies which are culturally and socially stratified, that is, which have developed an elite, and possibly also a popular, musical culture." Cecil Sharp (1972), A.L. Lloyd ().
"Cultural processes rather than abstract musical types...continuity and oral transmission...seen as characterizing one side of a cultural dichotomy, the other side of which is found not only in the lower layers of feudal, capitalist and some oriental societies but also in 'primitive' societies and in parts of 'popular cultures'." Redfield (1947) and Dundes (1965).
Less prominent, "a rejection of rigid boundaries, preferring a conception, simply of varying practice within one field, that of 'music'."
David Harker (1985) argues that "folk music" is, in Peter van der Merwe's words, "a meaningless term invented by 'bourgeois' commentators".

A Full Definition If Anyone Be Interested.

[TheBig3]

Originally Posted by LedZepStu

truth and honesty..same thing? anyway, i agree with you, its a musical outlet for emotion in its purest form.

I guess their the same, but techinically you could tell the truth in a dishonest way.

This is a favorite of my youth:

Did you take my dollar?

Yeah I went in your bag and just stole the dollar right out of there.

imagine the latter being as sarcastic as possible, the truth done in such a way that it deters them from continuing the process of interigation, yet still is "the truth"

Thats just me arguing, they are essentially the same thing.

[Sneer]

haha. i'll begrudgingly accept you have a slight point.

[TheBig3]

See Stu, we can get along

[Sneer]

we can indeed. when im not labelled as a zeppelin twin.