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LiveeviL2000 said:
I picked a song to folk up. Then I decided to actually define what makes a folk song a folk song. I thought it was a song with clean guitar and natural chord progression and thats pretty much it, what a mistake!
Here is what I found out.
"Folk music is defined as "music that originates in traditional popular culture or is written in that style." The word folk comes from the Old English word "folc," which means "common people" and is from the Proto-Germanic word "fulka." Folk music was originally passed down as an oral tradition, but eventually ..."
... well thanks for the etymology of the word folk!! So I delved even further and found this.
"folk songs tend to use 'natural' keys such as C, D, A, and F to give it a more folkier sounds. Sharp or flat keys such as F-sharp or A-flat will diminish the 'folky' sound in a song."
... ooookkkkkay, so do a billion other songs! and is folkier really a word?? So then I said folk this! I need to dive down this folking rabbit hole a little more and here is what I found.
"From its origins, folk music has been the music of the working class. It is community-focused and has rarely enjoyed commercial success. By definition, it's something that can be enjoyed by everyone, something that everyone can understand. Folk subjects include war, work, and civil rights to nonsense, parody, and love."
...GREAT!! so what they are saying is, ANYTHING can be folk. That means Fight for your Right to Party by the Beastie Boys qualifies. It's in a natural key and its about the civil right to PAAAAARTY!!!
Well, not satisfied I figured I'd give it one more try. There MUST be elements of folk music that are hard fast guidelines, well here they are!
"3 characteristics of folk music
Characteristics
  • It was transmitted through an oral tradition. ...
  • The music was often related to national culture. ...
  • They commemorate historical and personal events. ...
  • The songs have been performed, by custom, over a long period of time, usually several generations."
WHAT THE HELL!!! 3 characteristics and they listed 4!! Now I am thoroughly vexed.
Now I know why I have an aversion to folk music. All these rules!! Thats why I like metal, it has one rule. "Does it make you wanna bang your head"

What do you guys think makes a folk song a folk song?
Click to expand...
Well fulka you too :pound-hand: :celebrate2: :victoire:
 
Lots of Top Guns here. I had hoped our other 3 guys would have shown up by now but I have faith in them.
I had 2 old songs , I like both of them but can only use one. Some of the old folk songs seem like it would be a shame to ruin them with high gain but I guess it will come down to proper arrangement. I do look forward to submitting a song but this time I have to make better choices.

I did a test vocal this morning with my MXL 990 mic. A little pitchy here and there and several timing issues but timing should come a long.
I approached the vocal first just to see if I can pull it off.

Wether or not I do well doesn't matter , I am trying to sing only because of this challenge. So it's a good thing.
 
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ibmorjamn said:
Lots of Top Guns here. I had hoped our other 3 guys would have shown up by now but I have faith in them.
I had 2 old songs , I like both of them but can only use one. Some of the old folk songs seem like it would be a shame to ruin them with high gain but I guess it will come down to proper arrangement. I do look forward to submitting a song but this time I have make better choices.
I did a test vocal this morning with my MXL 990 mic. A little pitchy here and there and several timing issues but timing should come a long.
I approached the vocal first just to see if I can pull it off.

Wether or not I do well doesn't matter , I am trying to sing only because of this challenge. So it's a good thing.
Click to expand...
While not “officially” in the contest…. I’m going the other direction. Rock/metal and going folk. Got one in mind that might work. And another concept I’m playing around with. In my mind right now anyway. We’ll see if I can translate thoughts to frets.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
I’m working on folking a song, but it’s a slow go. My mind keeps drifting toward hard rock as I try to nail it down.
I go about 2 bars and I start breaking into a doom metal vibe. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
Can hear ya singing “if I had a hammer” in a Peter Paul and Mary voicing….. and transforming into a growling metal voice going…. “I am a hammer….”
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
I picked a song to folk up. Then I decided to actually define what makes a folk song a folk song. I thought it was a song with clean guitar and natural chord progression and thats pretty much it, what a mistake!
Here is what I found out.
"Folk music is defined as "music that originates in traditional popular culture or is written in that style." The word folk comes from the Old English word "folc," which means "common people" and is from the Proto-Germanic word "fulka." Folk music was originally passed down as an oral tradition, but eventually ..."
... well thanks for the etymology of the word folk!! So I delved even further and found this.
"folk songs tend to use 'natural' keys such as C, D, A, and F to give it a more folkier sounds. Sharp or flat keys such as F-sharp or A-flat will diminish the 'folky' sound in a song."
... ooookkkkkay, so do a billion other songs! and is folkier really a word?? So then I said folk this! I need to dive down this folking rabbit hole a little more and here is what I found.
"From its origins, folk music has been the music of the working class. It is community-focused and has rarely enjoyed commercial success. By definition, it's something that can be enjoyed by everyone, something that everyone can understand. Folk subjects include war, work, and civil rights to nonsense, parody, and love."
...GREAT!! so what they are saying is, ANYTHING can be folk. That means Fight for your Right to Party by the Beastie Boys qualifies. It's in a natural key and its about the civil right to PAAAAARTY!!!
Well, not satisfied I figured I'd give it one more try. There MUST be elements of folk music that are hard fast guidelines, well here they are!
"3 characteristics of folk music
Characteristics
  • It was transmitted through an oral tradition. ...
  • The music was often related to national culture. ...
  • They commemorate historical and personal events. ...
  • The songs have been performed, by custom, over a long period of time, usually several generations."
WHAT THE HELL!!! 3 characteristics and they listed 4!! Now I am thoroughly vexed.
Now I know why I have an aversion to folk music. All these rules!! Thats why I like metal, it has one rule. "Does it make you wanna bang your head"

What do you guys think makes a folk song a folk song?
Click to expand...

Ages ago, I took a class at Harvard called "The History of Blues in America." It was a fun class, as the teacher was the harp player in a Paul Butterfield Blues Band tribute act. He brought in a lot of good guests including Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. We would discuss stuff like what makes a good blues song, and it would have to have topics like Cheating Woman, the Devil, Murdering the Cheating Woman, Drinking, The Crossroads, Prison, and recovering from the Cheating Woman by getting another Cheating Woman.

At the end of the course, we had the choice of a test or submitting a few recorded songs that stuck to the formula. Since my band was regularly gigging at that point in time, it was easy to go into a studio and knock out a few songs in one day. This is one of three I submitted, and got an A in the class.

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dsg-john%252Fphoenix-blues%3Btrack_id%3D128918691
 
SG John said:
Ages ago, I took a class at Harvard called "The History of Blues in America." It was a fun class, as the teacher was the harp player in a Paul Butterfield Blues Band tribute act. He brought in a lot of good guests including Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. We would discuss stuff like what makes a good blues song, and it would have to have topics like Cheating Woman, the Devil, Murdering the Cheating Woman, Drinking, The Crossroads, Prison, and recovering from the Cheating Woman by getting another Cheating Woman.

At the end of the course, we had the choice of a test or submitting a few recorded songs that stuck to the formula. Since my band was regularly gigging at that point in time, it was easy to go into a studio and knock out a few songs in one day. This is one of three I submitted, and got an A in the class.

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dsg-john%252Fphoenix-blues%3Btrack_id%3D128918691
Click to expand...
Love it SG !
 
Oh boy
SG John said:
Ages ago, I took a class at Harvard called "The History of Blues in America." It was a fun class, as the teacher was the harp player in a Paul Butterfield Blues Band tribute act. He brought in a lot of good guests including Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. We would discuss stuff like what makes a good blues song, and it would have to have topics like Cheating Woman, the Devil, Murdering the Cheating Woman, Drinking, The Crossroads, Prison, and recovering from the Cheating Woman by getting another Cheating Woman.

At the end of the course, we had the choice of a test or submitting a few recorded songs that stuck to the formula. Since my band was regularly gigging at that point in time, it was easy to go into a studio and knock out a few songs in one day. This is one of three I submitted, and got an A in the class.

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dsg-john%252Fphoenix-blues%3Btrack_id%3D128918691
Click to expand...
awesome goodness there, that must have been the replace the cheatin woman with another cheatin woman category :cry:
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
Challenge 2: Its all Folked Up!!!!
OK Fellas! I think I'm first.
This is going to have a bunch of firsts for me.
1) I have been practicing harmonica for a few months, so I get to use what little I know on this one.
2) I just picked up EZ Drummer3 yesterday and fiddled around with it. I did a simple drum track on this.
3) I did a couple of bars of Hard Heart of Gold in a You Tube Video once before, but never did something like this.

So you'll have to excuse the crudeness of the drums and the harmonica playing is still a work in progress, so there are a bunch of thing I still need to learn.
So here is Hard Heart of Gold, as good as it's gonna get.
https://soundcloud.com/id%3Duser-529226453%252Fchallenge-2-hard-heart-of-gold%3Btrack_id%3D1698596115
Click to expand...
Awesome job of gettin some stank on it :dood:
 
I have a new process that I am working on so this was just the first demo (first take :facepalm: ) I did and all is way off but it kind of works, kind of. Any way gotta get better at the production part of it but I am just excited to get something down. The level is way low I will work on that, I may resubmit this later. But without further adoo Bob D
 
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C-Grin said:
I have a new process that I am working on so this was just the first demo I did and all is way off but it kind of works, kind of. Any way gotta get better at the production part of it but I am just excited to get something down. The level is way low I will work on that, I may resubmit this later. But without further adoo Bob D
Click to expand...
Dude!!! Sweet!!! I’m looking forward to seeing this come together!
 
C-Grin said:
I have a new process that I am working on so this was just the first demo (first take :facepalm: ) I did and all is way off but it kind of works, kind of. Any way gotta get better at the production part of it but I am just excited to get something down. The level is way low I will work on that, I may resubmit this later. But without further adoo Bob D
Click to expand...
That was excellent!

:dood:
 
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