Grade 2, Unit
2, Lesson 8
Folk songs are created by everyday
people, just plain folks. Every country has folk songs.
American folk songs tell about the lives of the people
who created them. Some songs tell a story. Others describe
an emotion such as excitement, joy, pride, or sadness.
Still others are created just for fun, to share a sense
of humor, tell a funny story, or to play a game.
Americans celebrate our differences, so there are many
different types of American folk songs. Americans have
been creating songs for over 200 years. They sound like
the music of the time when they were written.
You can find American folk song lists in lots of places:
- Start with the classified index of your Spotlight
on Music book. Under Folk and Traditional, look for
the word American. Which are folk and which are traditional?
Which are both? Look at the song credits in your book
for clues. Which are folk, and which are traditional?
What's the difference?
- Click
here for more historical American songs and sea
chanteys.
- You can create an American folk song by thinking
about an idea you want to share, then taking time
to turn the idea into a song. See what just feels
right. Use rhyming words, and don't forget about A
B or A B A form. Sometimes it helps to hear the words
again.
Folk songs are alive and so they
change each time a new person sings one. You can learn
folk songs by listening to a folk singer on a recording,
television, video, or at a concert.
You can keep American folk songs alive by learning and
singing them with the folks you know.
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