Art
Music and Folk Music
World music can be divided in to two categories, namely Folk ( conventional) Music and Art music.
Art music is a form which
occurred from the traditional Music. Both of the aspects have their own
characteristics .Some of them are similar to each other and some of them are different from each other.
The main object of this article is to discuss an overview about the difference
between Art Music and Traditional Music.
When we move to the Art Music, It
has a commercial an expense involved than
to traditional folk Music.
In the world , there are
so many categories in the form of art music not only focusing to entertainment aspect but it also has a productive value. It catches the
current updates of technologies and technical inventions despite it has an artistic value too . Day by day
Music productions are increasing, but unfortunately all the music productions cannot be considered as creations.
The next question is' What
is the real Art Music' ? When Art music merely object to something
that such as human values , traditions ,
emotions and feelings , then it became the real art Music.
In this case there is an another thing that we have to understand. Fan's acceptance about the Art Music how it can
be changed by creators weather that music good or bad. Because of fans
acceptance can be affected music
production (creation) Therefore even a good production will not be praised even
their context is succeeded. It depends
on the authority of publishing and
advertising.
The roots of art
music which can be proved from the
history. As an example ; Indian Classical Music has a proper history and It has proved their historical resources. .
The Art Music has it's their
own grammar and rules , which has occur from the contribution of musicians who
belong to the relevant Music Forms.
Every Art Music form of world has their own concepts and vocabulary.
Example’s :
Indian Classical Music -
Thata , swara, varna , Raga ,Rasa , Akar
etc.,
Western Classical Music - Scales , Notes , Pitch, Timber, loud , Key signature , Times etc.,
Some of the forms of Art Music absorbs the essence of other Musical genres contemporary Sri Lankan music is an example for that. However as we can see the Art Music is not born automatically. It is a concept which is enhanced from the human’s thinking development.
Next move is on to the topic of “Folk Music”. what is the folk music ? Some
definitions say , Music that originates in traditional culture is known as
Folk Music. It is naturally born from the folk context . Though there are pioneers of Art
Music , yet folk music has no authorship nor particular pioneers mentioned.
Folk Music is bound from
folk poems and hymns. Folk poems are also
simple, ( It doesn't mean that all folk
poems are easy to understand but there is a structure which is simple to than
Art Music ) It emphasize the
conventional cultural background of people who lives in rural places.
(This idea is also problematic because the meaning of the term of ' folk ' is
the ordinary living people of the world.
So it is unjust that considering folk music only belongs to rural people
only without other people who are lives in towns. Therefore some definitions
are presented as ' Folk Music is The Music of all People’! ) However Folk
singers are not professional artists. Sometimes they wish and want to sing even
it doesn’t sound very nicely! Folk music
neither has a purpose to earn money nor create productions. The objectives of singing
folk songs can be mentioned like that below.
1. To drive away the
loneliness.
2. To express their emotions
(happy, sympathy, pythoness, affection etc.,).
3. Share the experience’s
between others which they are forced.
4. To create a pleasant
atmosphere in the religious and conventional occasions.
5. To communicate with
each other (talking , blaming , scolding, questing , answering etc.,).
All of the above facts are
emphasized that Folk Music which based on folk music has a cultural context.
Considering the Folk
Melodies which currently heard are also simple.
Many of folk tunes do not
pass more than 5 or 6 notes . It has created to sing anyone who is willing to
sing. Except for a few Sri Lankan Folk
Tunes are quite similar to each other. But actual thing is folk music hasn't
any particular tunes. If someone wants to sing a poem, he or she has the whole
authority to choose another melody to sing except the real melody.
That is a huge difference
between Art and Folk music. We can understand the cultural background of a
society through the Folk Music for if that society has developed melodies and
tunes of folk songs, their aesthetic ability must be improved. If people are fluent in art definitely they
are culturally developed. Folk melodies and poems neither have a grammar nor
the rules. They only come with deep inside of human heart weather it gives good
or bad feeling.
After the all of things
that we have discuss above, we can get a rough idea about what is an Art
Music and Folk Music . There is no argument
to prove that music is an universal language. But it has some variations. Discovering
it has no end but we can find some things to enhance our aesthetic ability and
performing ability. Furthermore, We will
talk about the Sri Lankan music and
culture through this Cyber space.
Stay tuned with us.
