15: Folk and Native American Music

​Folk Music

Multiple Choice

This genre is orally passed down over time and often has no author. However, modern artists can still be labelled in this genre with their original songs. Storytelling is a key aspect of this music.

• country

• folk

• hip hop

• classical

Multiple Choice

Which of these instruments is not used in authentic folk music?

• Acoustic guitar

• Harmonica

• Banjo

• Electric guitar

Multiple Choice

Folk music is learned through reading rather than hearing.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes a key characteristic of folk music?

• It is passed down orally through generations

• It is always performed by professional musicians

• It is only instrumental with no lyrics

Jolie Blonde

Love in the Stable

​Mathilda

​This Little Light

When the Saints Go Marching In

Décimas

Louisiana State Song

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away

• Deep Cultural Significance: Native American music is profoundly intertwined with spiritual beliefs, ceremonies, rituals, and storytelling. It's often viewed as a way to connect with the spirit world and the natural environment.

• The Voice of the People: Singing is the cornerstone of this musical tradition, often accompanied by percussion instruments. Purely instrumental music is less common.

• Regional Diversity: Music varies widely across different tribes and regions (e.g., Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast), reflecting the distinct cultural heritages of each group.

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Introduction to Native American Music

• Vocal Style: Characterized by tense, nasal vocal qualities (especially in the Plains), or sometimes a more relaxed and open style (Southwest). Vibrato and subtle pitch variations are common.

• Melody and Pitch: Melodies often feature a descending inflection or a steady decline in pitch during a song. Scales typically involve four, five, or six tones with roughly equidistant intervals, differing significantly from the Western twelve-tone chromatic scale.

• Rhythm: Driven by percussion. Rhythmic complexity includes frequent changes of meter and the use of syncopation. The drumbeat is often described as the "heartbeat of Mother Earth."

• Text: Songs combine meaningful text with vocables (non-lexical syllables).

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Musical Characteristics

​Large drums played simultaneously by multiple musicians in social or ceremonial gatherings (e.g., Plains peoples). Often made from a hollowed-out log or a wooden frame covered with animal hide (elk, deer, buffalo).

Drums (Membranophones):

Turtle Shell Rattles: Made from a turtle or tortoise shell filled with pellets, pebbles, or seeds, often used as leg rattles by dancers (Southeastern tribes).

Rattles (Idiophones):

Known for its haunting and soulful sound. It's typically an end-blown wooden flute (often cedar) used primarily as a solo instrument for courtship or personal reflection, rather than accompaniment.

Flutes (Aerophones):

​Primary Instruments

Multiple Choice

What do we think are the oldest and most common instruments in Native American cultures?

• Flutes

• Drums

• Guitars

Multiple Select

Which instruments are percussion instruments used in Native American Cultures?

• Drums

• Chordophones

• Rattles

• Rasps

Multiple Choice

In a drum circle, how many drums do the participants share?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Multiple Select

What materials were Native American drums made from? (Select all answers that apply)

• Wood

• Clay

• Animal Skin

• Bone

Multiple Choice

In some Native American cultures, drumbeats are described as the ____________ of Mother Earth

• heartbeat

• footprints

• shadow

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Native American Flute is one of the oldest instruments in the world!

• True

• False

Multiple Select

What do Native Americans use flutes for?

• Creating music

• Entertainment

• Religious ceremonies

• Healing

Multiple Select

What are vocals and singing used for in Native American cultures?

• To teach

• To pass down history

• To pass on traditions

• To fight

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of Call and Response?

• A type of music that was made up on the spot.

• The lead sings and the group follows with the same or similar phrase.

• Everyone sings at the same time.

• Everyone sings by themselves.

Multiple Choice

Who is considered the primary artist In folk music?

• arranger

• performer

• composer

Rhythm Practice

Rhythm Song

Song Practice

​ Ta Ti-Ti To-e Rest

​ Bucket Drumming