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Folk Song Analysis

Robbin L. Marcus



GENERAL INFORMATION:

1) For comparative purposes, all songs are always notated with a G final on the
staff, regardless of what solfege the ending note may be. A comfortable starting pitch
(CSP) is indicated at the top of the song.

2) Use metronome markings to indicate the tempo of the song and the unit of beat
at the top of the song.

3) When notating, traditional key signatures are not used. Write only the sharps
or flats needed to notate the song next to the treble clef.

4) Meter signatures are written using the number of beats in the measure over a
quarter or dotted quarter note, depending on whether the song is in duple or triple meter.

5) Place only one phrase on each staff of the paper.

6) The analysis form is divided into 5 sections: tonal (melodic), form, rhythmic,
pedagogical (judgment), and source. There is a space between each section, and the
sections are individually labeled on the sheet.



MELODIC:

1) Tone set: Label, from lowest to highest notes, the solfege used for this particular
song. Circle or make bold the final tone. Ex: s,l, d r m s l d

2) Scale/mode: There are 2 types of scales or modes - complete or incomplete.

A) Complete modes contain all seven notes of the scale and have the final listed
in the tone set. They are as follows:
Ionian/major - do final
Dorian re final
Phrygian mi final
Lydian fa final
Mixolydian so final
Aeolian/minor la final
Locrian ti final





B) Incomplete modes contain less than seven different notes. They are named
first by the ending note you circled in the tone set, followed by the appropriate
prefixes and suffixes to describe them. Ex. do(final) penta (prefix) tonic
(suffix).

Prefixes indicate the number of notes in the tone set, and use the Greek
numerical system.

Bi = 2
Tri = 3
Tetra = 4
Penta = 5
Hexa = 6
If a song contains all seven different solfa notes, it is complete (see
above).

Suffixes tell you whether or not there are skips in the scale.

Songs in the suffix catagory of Chord means that all the notes in the tone set are a
step apart from one another. Ex: drmfs is a do pentachord.
Songs in the suffix category of Tonic have skips between some of the notes. Ex:
d rm sl is do pentatonic.

(This system is called Method 1 for folk song analysis in Kodaly Today,
chapter 3.)

3) Range: range is determined by the final note of the song. If do is the final,
do is #1, high do is 8, in Arabic numerals. Notes below do are counted backwards
in Roman numerals, so low so would be V, low ti would be VII. If la is the
final, it becomes #1, etc.

4) Intervals: Indicate the most prominent skips or steps occuring in the song by
solfege letters. For a mi tritonic song like Bounce High, you would list s-m,
s-l as your intervals. (Beyond sml songs, do not list steps as intervals, please.)

5) Melodic Patterns/Turns: Are there melodic patterns which occur frequently?
Would you use the song to teach these patterns in a lesson? Highlight them here.
For Bounce High, you would list slsm.




FORM:

1) Form: Form is indicated by using capital letters to describe each phrase. If a
phrase has a variant, show it by using a lower case v after the letter (Av). Songs
with long phrases that have an infrastructure can be shown by using lower case
letters beneath the capital letters. A B C
(a av) (bc) (d dv)

2) Number of bars: Indicate the number of measures in each phrase. Write the
numbers directly under each form letter.

3) Cadence Notes: list the final note of each phrase using the numerical systems
employed for listing the range. Write the numbers directly under each form letter.

4) Verbal Syllables: Count the number of verbal syllables per phrase. Write the
numbers directly under each form letter.

5) Verses: List the number of verses if the song has more than one. You should
write or type the verses out on the back of the paper. Indicate if the song has a
refrain.

6) Harmony: List here if the song is a canon, has an ostinato, is a partner song,
has a descant, or what chord roots would be appropriate to create harmony.

RHYTHM:

1) Rhythmic Elements: What rhythmic elements does the song contain? List
with the most difficult/advanced element first, since this is what you are likely to
use the song to teach.

2) Rhythmic Patterns: What patterns containing that important element are in
this song? List patterns which are four beats long that you could extract for
rhythm work. For example, if your song would be used to work on four sixteenth
notes, you might use the pattern y n n q

3) Meter: List the meter of the song, including any changes.









JUDGEMENT:

The area of judgement is where all the work you did in the above catagories
comes together. You will assess the song for exactly what you plan to use it for in
your classroom. Some songs were never meant to be taken apart, but are great
warm ups for other pedagogical songs, others are your teaching war horses that
you use to present an element year after year. This is the part of the form where
you will determine how to best use this song.

1) Notation: What notational challenges might be in the song? List first and
second endings, repeat signs, staccato dots, fermati, slurs, etc.

2) Readability: By using information you have already written on the form, list
the grade level at which the students should be able to read each of the following
parts of the song:
Text (T) How difficult are the words? Is this a song for a fifth grade
concept with first grade text?
Melody (M) At what grade level would you teach the most difficult
melodic element in this song? USE YOUR INFORMATION FROM THE
MELODIC SECTION to identify the most difficult element
Rhythm (R) At what grade level would you teach the most difficult
rhythmic element in this song? USE YOUR INFORMATION FROM THE
RHYTHMIC SECTION to identify the most difficult element.

Dont be surprised if your three answers here are not the same. It may mean one
of several things this song is a keeper, (like Hot Cross Buns) which could be
used for rhythm in first grade (quarter rest) and again for melody (re, mrd
pattern) in second, OR, you cant use Farmer in the Dell to show s l s m d (2
nd

gr) on the staff, because the rhythm is in 6/8 (5
th
gr). If your answers are widely
different, it may be time to look for a new song that better meets your needs.

3) Challenges: Use this category if your song has unusual challenges like breath
control on long phrases, difficult intervals, unusual rhythms, a wide range,
difficult vocabulary. Your song may have none of the above in which case,
write none.

4) Activities: List here if the song is a game or if you have activities you have
made up to do with this song. Examples improvisation of new words, solo
singing, insert students name, etc. If there is a singing game, write directions on
the back.

5) Pedagogical Use: Exactly what of all the above catagories would you use this
song to teach? You may have a melodic element, a rhythm, form or all three.
You might use it to prepare, present, or practice an element. What would be the
best use of this song in your classroom?

SOURCE:

Finally, a word or ten about source. This section is extremely important, and needs to be
filled in with care. Research is often required to properly document your source, and you
really should do it. Its important for you to know if your song is authentic, composed, or
contrived. It is extremely useful (not to mention interesting!) to find the oldest source
possible for your material.

1) Learned from : In this section, document the person who taught you the song, ie
learned from Vicki Dohrmann, Level 1 Kodaly, Webster University, summer 2004.

2) Published source: In this section, if possible, list the oldest, most primary published
source for the song. List the author, the title, the publisher, the date of publication, and
the page number.

Types of source material:

Primary: The original source for the song Alan Lomax transcribed this song from the
singing of Mabel Watson, 1932, Some Old Mountain, VA. my great grandmother sang
this to my mother when she was a baby, composed by, etc. Recordings are often
primary sources, particularly those from the Library of Congress series done in the early
part of the 20
th
century. Large folk song collections housed in college libraries are
usually a combination of primary and secondary sources, since most were transcribed
from recordings.

Secondary: Usually the first time a song was published. So, using the Lomax example,
Alan then could have included that song in his book, Folk Song USA. A great example
of a secondary source is Ruth Crawford Seegers American Folk Songs for Children,
which contains songs she learned as a child from her mother.

Tertiary: This category includes most music series books, as well as the 150, which
draw their material from previously published sources. When using a tertiary source, it is
helpful and important to trace the song back to its secondary source. Usually this can be
found in the index of the book. You may discover: A) a new source book of other
interesting material, B) that the song you are using has been changed or straightened
out rhythmically for use in a music series book, C) that text may also have been
changed. It is important to always use the most authentic version of a song with your
students.

So, your own documentation under source should include not only who, when and where
you learned the song if you didnt find it in a book, but how someone else could find it in
a published source. It bears repeating this may require some research if the person who
taught it to you doesnt have a source of their own. It is worth your time and effort!!



ACCEPTABLE SOURCES FOR YOUR FOLK SONG COLLECTION:
(You do NOT need to own all of these books but you might like to! All listed sources
will be available at George Mason for your use during the course. You will be asked to
find secondary or primary sources in your research. Many of these books are tertiary. If
they are tertiary and unsourced, you will be asked for a better source.)

Sail Away Locke - secondary/tertiary, sourced
The 150 Erdei/Komlos tertiary, unsourced
Music in Preschool Forrai/Sinor tertiary, best available source for many s-m songs
Handy Play Party Book Rohrbaugh secondary
Folk Songs of North America Johnston tertiary, sourced
Sing It Yourself Bradford tertiary, sourced
American Folk Songs Seeger - secondary
Animal Folk Songs Seeger - secondary
The Jill Trinka Books (Little Black Bull, etc.) 4 volumes tertiary, sourced
Step it Down Jones- secondary, sourced
Just 5 Kersey tertiary, unsourced
Just 5 plus 2 Kersey - tertiary, unsourced
Jump Jim Joe Amidon - tertiary, sourced
101 Rounds World Around Songs or any of their little collections - tertiary,
unsourced
Heritage Songster Dallin secondary, unsourced
Simple Gifts Vol 1,2 or 3 - Helen Wyzga - tertiary, unsourced

The following sources may be used, but need to be backed up by another source:

120 Singing Games Choksy - tertiary, unsourced, often altered
Kodaly Method Choksy - tertiary, unsourced, often altered
The American Methodology Roberston/Eisen - tertiary, unsourced, often altered

You may use series books or other sources for folk songs, but document (if you can) a
more primary source, please. Songs you find on the Internet can often be documented via
recording. This is acceptable, as long as you cite the name of the recording and the
original artist.

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