Art Music and Folk Music

 

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.