List of folk music traditions explained

Folk music ^[1] is one of the major divisions of music, now often divided into traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. There are many styles of folk music, all of which can be classified into various traditions, generally based around some combination of ethnic, religious, tribal, political or geographic boundaries.

• North, ^[2] Central, ^[3] South American ^[4] and the Caribbean
• Asia

^[5] East, Southeast, Northern, Central, Caucasus and South Asia

• Europe

Northern, Eastern, Southeastern, Western and Southern Europe

• Middle East and North Africa

Southwest Asia, North Africa, ^{[6] [7]}

• Oceania and Australia

^{[8] [9]} Polynesia, Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia

• Sub-Saharan Africa

East, Southern, Central and West Africa

As well as dividing songs according to geography, it is possible to categorise them by subject matter:

• War song, ^[10]
• Anti-war song, ^[11]
• Tamang Selo, ^[12]
• Sea songs, including sea shanties, ^[13]
• Drinking song, https://www.cbc.ca/music/a-brief-history-of-drinking-songs-1.5070012
• Epic song, ^[14]
• Work song, ^[15]
• Love song, ^[16]
• Child Ballads (tragic ballads), ^[17]
• Children's song, ^[18]
• Protest song, ^[19]
• Murder ballad, ^[20]
• Sporting song, ^[21]

Other folk music relates to social events:

• Christmas carol,^{[22] [23]}
• Pub session,^{[24] [25]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Collections American Folklife Center Research Centers Library of Congress . 2024-11-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
2. Web site: The Fascinating History of American Folk Music . 2024-11-15 . LiveAbout . en.
3. Web site: rilm . 2023-09-26 . Central America’s vast dance and musical heritage . 2024-11-15 . Bibliolore . en-US.
4. Web site: Folk / traditional music of South America . 2024-11-15 . folkcloud.com.
5. Web site: Folk / traditional music of Asia . 2024-11-15 . folkcloud.com.
6. Web site: Love Songs from the Middle East . 2024-11-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
7. Web site: O’Dell . Cary . 2022-11-16 . Exploring African Music Through the Collections of the Library of Congress Now See Hear! . 2024-11-15 . The Library of Congress.
8. Web site: Oceanic music and dance Traditional Melodies & Rituals Britannica . 2024-11-15 . www.britannica.com . en.
9. Web site: Aboriginal songs - collection of Australian folk music . 2024-11-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
10. Web site: Echoes of Courage: Folk Music’s Ties to America's Wars . 2024-11-15 . American Battlefield Trust . en.
11. Web site: Protest Music of the Vietnam War . 2024-11-15 . Peace History . en-US.
12. Web site: 2020-10-17 . Tamang Selo songs: Music as an agent of restoration of ethnic identity . 2024-11-15 . Cafe Dissensus Everyday . en.
13. Web site: Winick . Stephen . 2021-01-29 . A Deep Dive Into Sea Shanties Folklife Today . 2024-11-15 . The Library of Congress.
14. Web site: Exploring Epic Stories and Themes . 2024-11-15 . www.launchnotes.com.
15. Web site: thenestcollective-admin . 2020-07-07 . Work Songs . 2024-11-15 . The Nest Collective . en-GB.
16. Web site: What’s With All the Songs About Love? Arts The Harvard Crimson . 2024-11-15 . www.thecrimson.com.
17. Web site: Tragic Ballads at Mostly Medieval - Exploring the Middle Ages . 2024-11-15 . www.mostly-medieval.com.
18. Web site: Migoni . Alda Allina . Research Guides: Children's Songs and Games: Resources in the American Folklife Center: Searching the Collections . 2024-11-15 . guides.loc.gov . en.
19. Web site: Patriotic and Protest Music . 2024-11-15 . National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Library of Congress.
20. Web site: Zelvin . Elizabeth . Folk Music and Murder Ballads . 2024-11-15.
21. Web site: Songs of Sports and Pasttimes[sic] ]. 2024-11-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
22. Web site: Saelee . Mike . Research Guides: Christmas Carols: Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction . 2024-11-15 . guides.loc.gov . en.
23. Web site: Christmas songs and carols . 2024-11-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
24. Web site: StephenJones.blog . 2022-05-25 . The Irish pub session . 2024-11-15 . Stephen Jones: a blog . en.
25. Web site: The most popular irish session tunes . 2024-11-15 . Funkywhistle . en.