1. Definition of folk songs Folk songs are a concept relative to professionally created songs, just like folk music is a concept relative to professionally created music.
Folk songs, referred to as folk songs, are songs composed and sung by working people in their lives and labors. In the long process of historical development, traditional folk songs have survived among the people through oral creation and oral transmission, and in the process of dissemination, they have continued to undergo collective selection, transformation, processing and refinement by the people. Therefore, the folk songs that have been passed down to this day have gathered the collective wisdom and emotional experience of the people in different periods, different regions, different identities, and different experiences. They have become more and more perfect and become the crystallization of the people's ideological and emotional expressions.
Folk songs are the earliest form of music formed in human social life, and have given birth to other folk music genres and professional music forms. It can be said that folk songs are the foundation of all musical art.
2. The multifunctionality of folk songs. In addition to the entertainment function, folk songs also have the following social functions:
1. Education and inheritance functions. Some ethnic minorities in our country circulate folk songs that sing long narrative poems and historical poems, which record the origin of mankind, the development and changes of the nation, heroic epics, production and life, etiquette knowledge, etc.
2. The function of life etiquette. During the four important stages of life: birth, adulthood, marriage and death, folk songs often accompany ceremonial activities and become an important procedure.
3. Sacrifice and exorcism function. Some ethnic groups often sing during sacrifices and exorcism ceremonies hosted by wizards and goddesses.
4. Communicative function. Including love, communication, sending and greetings, and singing battles of wits, etc., it is often sung in traditional singing festivals or in daily life.
5. Express the voice of the people. Folk songs represent the voices of the working people. Many traditional folk songs express the people's resistance to the unreasonable system of the old era.
3. Historical poems and heroic epics of ethnic minorities. Among some ethnic groups in my country, there are folk songs that sing historical poems, such as "Meige" of the Yi people, "Ancient Songs" of the Miao people, and "Pan Wang" of the Yao people. Song", Hani people's "Creation Song", Jingpo people's "Munaozhaiwa", Dulong people's "Creation", etc. These folk songs describe ancient myths and legends about the origin of the universe and mankind, as well as the ancestors' understanding of some natural phenomena. These songs are often sung by wizards or respected old people during festivals, sacrifices, weddings and funerals, and the atmosphere is solemn. The melody is close to spoken language and has a strong chanting quality; the lyrics are long in length, some are tens of thousands of lines long, and it takes hours or even days to sing them all.
Heroic epics were developed on the basis of folk songs and myths and legends, and were produced slightly later than myths. Heroic epics describe the wars that took place during the formation of clans, tribes and nations, as well as the achievements of heroic figures in the wars. For example, the Mongolian "Janggar", the Kirgiz ethnic group "Manas", the Dai ethnic group "Zhaoshutun", etc.
4. Traditional singing festivals. Many ethnic groups in my country have their own traditional singing festivals, such as the "Gexu" of the Zhuang people, the "Youfang" of the Miao people, the "Zhongpo" of the Mulao people, the Tu people of the northwest region, Hui, Salar, Dongxiang, Baoan and Han "Hua'erhui", etc. On the day of the festival, hundreds of young men and women gather in a specially designed outdoor singing venue to play and sing in antiphonal style. On the one hand, they show off their talents, and on the other hand, they find suitable partners of the opposite sex in the antiphonal singing activity.
5. Tang Dynasty tunes Tang Dynasty tunes are derived from primitive folk songs, but they are also divorced from the original form of folk songs. It is a particularly favorite tune selected by people among many popular folk songs. People have done more processing and adaptation of these tunes, filled them with a variety of lyrics, and also carefully handled the singing. By the Song Dynasty, these tunes became more popular and became the basis of various folk music forms such as opera and rap. The literati at that time also competed to imitate the form of the music and write lyrics, which became a cicada. The way in which the tunes of the Tang Dynasty developed and mutated from primitive folk songs, and were absorbed into opera and rap music, is similar to the folk tunes of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
6. Folk song genres. There are many classification methods for Han folk songs in my country. The genre classification of folk songs is one of the classification methods based on the artistic style of music. This classification method mainly divides Han folk songs into three categories: labor chants, folk songs, and minor tunes. The formation of folk song genres is related to different life and labor scenes. These background factors determine, to a certain extent, the basic expression methods and artistic characteristics of various folk song genres. For example, the intensity and rhythm of labor give labor chants a firm and powerful character; the vastness of fields and mountains forces singers to raise the range and widen the rhythm in order to spread folk songs far away; singing in cities or indoors, and The accompanying instrumental accompaniment makes the singing rhythm of the minor key more standardized; the professional singing of the artist makes the rhythm of the minor key more delicate. But on the other hand, the practical application of folk song genres is not completely restricted by life and labor scenes. People often sing folk songs of different genres in the same life and labor situations, as a way to adjust the labor process and enrich cultural life.
7. Labor chants Labor chants are folk songs produced and used in labor, which have the practical function of coordinating and directing labor.
During the labor process, especially labor with strong collective collaboration, workers often shout or shout in order to unify the pace, regulate breathing, and release the pressure of the body's weight. These shouts and shouts were gradually beautified by the working people and developed into the form of songs. From the initial simple and rhythmic call signs during labor, it has developed into a song form with rich lyrics and complete melody. The labor chants reflect the wisdom and strength of the working people, and express the working people's spirit through the labor chants. Optimism and fearless heroism.
8. The dual functions of labor chants The dual functions of labor chants are practical function and artistic expression function. In labor, the dual functions of labor chants are reflected in: on the one hand, it can inspire the spirit, regulate emotions, organize and direct collective labor; on the other hand, it also has a certain artistic expression value. The relationship between the two is mutually restrictive and mutually exclusive. The greater the intensity of labor, the greater the restriction on the musical performance of labor chants. On the contrary, when the labor intensity is low, the singers of labor chants can have more spare time to consider and develop the artistic expression of labor chant music.
9. Types of labor jobs. Labor jobs mainly include the following categories:
(1) Transport jobs, which are used in loading and unloading, carrying, carrying burdens, pushing carts, etc. Singing in the middle;
(2) Engineering chants, singing during labor such as tamping, digging, logging, quarrying;
(3) Farming chants, singing during agricultural labor Singing in the middle, such as threshing wheat, pounding rice, driving water, plucking grass, etc.
(4) Boat and fishing chants, accompanying water transportation, fishing, shipping and other labor.
10. Rhythm Rhythm is the typical rhythm form in labor chant music, and it is also one of the main characteristics of labor chant music. The constant repetition of labor movements and their sense of rhythm give the labor chant a rhythmic quality. The so-called rhythm refers to a relatively fixed and recurring rhythm pattern that often appears in haozi music. These rhythmic units not only have roughly the same duration, but also often have relatively uniform arrangements of melodic material.
There are roughly three types of rhythms in labor chants:
1. Long rhythm, the length of the rhythm unit is generally equivalent to a musical phrase;
2. Flat rhythm Rhythm, the length of a rhythm unit is generally equivalent to one music section;
3. Short rhythm, generally one beat is a rhythm unit.
11. Leading the crowd in harmony. Leading the crowd in harmony is another main feature of labor chant music. The singing forms of labor chants include solo singing, duet singing, chorus singing, etc., but leading the crowd and singing together are the most common and typical singing methods. The leader is often the conductor of collective work. The lead singing part is often the main statement part of the lyrics. Its music is relatively flexible and free. The tunes and lyrics often have improvisational changes. The melody is often rising or high-pitched and loud, with the characteristics of calling and calling. Most of the chorus parts are lining words or lyrics. Repeating the lyrics of the lead vocal, the music is relatively fixed, with few changes and a strong rhythm. The same music or the same rhythm is often used.
There are three main types of leading and singing in labor chants: 1. Alternating response type; 2. Overlapping type; 3. Comprehensive type.
12. Folk songs. Folk songs are a type of folk songs for working people to freely express their emotions. The most common contents in traditional folk songs are love and suffering. Folk songs are often sung outdoors. The tunes are often high-pitched and loud, the rhythms are free and long, and the lyrics are mostly improvised. The lyrics of folk songs are characterized by simple emotions, bold imagination, and clever metaphors. They are vivid, vivid, and truly touching. Folk songs often have the highest note of the whole song at the beginning of the music, which is full of emotion and strong expression. In the treble range, folk songs often have free extended notes. Some folk songs use a singing method of falsetto or a combination of true and false voices due to their high range.
13. Types of folk songs Types of folk songs are unique names for local folk songs in different regions, such as "Xintianyou" in northern Shaanxi, "Mountain Song" in Shanxi, and "Mountain Diao" in Inner Mongolia. "Hua'er" and "Youth" in Qinghai, Gansu and other places, "Five Sentences" in Hubei, "Morning Song" in Sichuan, "Zhuan Jinghong" in Anhui, etc.
14. "Head and tail together", "Liangdan water", "Breaking the waist" "Head and tail together", "Liangdan water" and "Breaking the waist" are popular in Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia. The lyrics structure form of the folk song "Hua'er". There are two main structures of the lyrics of "Hua'er". One is the "head to tail" style, which consists of four lines of lyrics, that is, two pairs of upper and lower sentences. The number of words in each sentence is roughly the same, but the phrase structure of the upper and lower sentences creates an interlaced effect in rhythm. Single numbers or phrases and double sentences The number phrases are relative; the second lyric structure form is vividly called "Two Carrying Water" or "Broken Waist" by the local people. It is a six-sentence structure, that is, between each pair of upper and lower sentences of the "head and tail" style. Sometimes, adding a half sentence of 3 to 5 words not only increases the capacity of the lyrics, but also the rhythm is varied, making it catchy when read.
15. Adding stacks Adding stacks is a technique often used in folk songs. Duo lines generally have a dense rhythm, often with one word and one sound, and are not very melodic. The rhythm is neatly handled and the beats are powerful, similar to a recitation-style number board. Duo lines do not pursue the ups and downs of the melody, but highlight the dynamics of the rhythm. Duo lines are often inserted in the middle of folk song sections. Their sonorous and neat rhythm is in sharp contrast with the melodious and melodious melodies before and after, and at the same time it expands the capacity of words and sentences. Duo lines also have the function of regenerating momentum for the subsequent extended melody.
Stacking is also written as "stacking". It is an added part to the structure of folk songs, and at the same time it is often sandwiched in the middle of a paragraph.
16. Continuous Eight Sentences: Continuous Eight Sentences, also known as "Lian Ba ??Sen", is a type of folk song structure that is popular in Sichuan and southern Shaanxi. Its structural form is: there are two sections with upper and lower sentences before and after, and the second section is a repetition or variation of the first section; a section with the nature of a number board is inserted in the middle, and the rhythm is relatively denser than the two sections before and after. Sentences are compact. The whole song has 1 to 8 lines. Some even eight sentences in the middle form a complete four-sentence section, forming a trilogy structure with reproduction.
17. Five-sentence songs Five-sentence songs are also a structural type of folk songs and are popular in Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan and southern Shaanxi. Its structural form is: Sentences 1 and 2 are a corresponding section of sentences, Sentences 4 and 5 are repetitions or variations of Sentences 1 and 2, and Sentence 3 in the middle is a variation of Sentence 1. The end (that is, the end of the phrase changes), or the combination of the first and second phrases (the more common one is the beginning of the first sentence plus the end of the second sentence), or the use of new materials. At the same time, the falling tone in the third sentence is often the modal tonic, sometimes the second or fourth tone above or below the modal tonic. In this way, the falling notes of the five-sentence song form the following rules: fifth tone-tonic tone-tonic tone (or second tone, fourth tone)-fifth tone-tonic tone.
18. The free rhythm of folk songs. The free and long rhythmic form is a characteristic of the typical folk song genre, which is mainly manifested in two interdependent aspects. First, in the part where the lyrics are stated, the rhythm of folk song music is close to the rhythm of natural language, and the purpose is to directly and clearly express what is in the heart; second, behind the phrases or sentences (dòu) of the lyrics, that is, the music of the melody At the end of a stanza or phrase, folk songs often have free extended tones in order to fully express the emotions in the heart. The regular intensive rhythm of the lyrics and the free extended tones of the emotional arias form a sharp contrast between density and relaxation, regularity and freedom, and the frequent and diverse alternation between the two enriches the rhythmic layout of folk songs. It strengthens the expressive power of folk music.
19. Minor tunes Minor tunes are also called ditties, folk songs, etc. They are folk songs widely circulated in rural areas and urban market towns. The differences from labor chants and folk songs are as follows:
1. The spread and development of minor tunes reflect the interactive influence and close connection between urban and rural music culture. Minor tunes are spread throughout different strata in urban and rural areas, and a wide range of social strata directly or indirectly participate in the creation and processing;
2. Minor tunes have fixed lyrics and libretto;
3. In addition to In addition to the general public, professional and semi-professional artists in minor tunes perform commercial singing in lively public places, often with instrumental accompaniment.
Minor tunes are often connected into multi-section songs in the form of Four Seasons, Fifth Watch, and December. Its tunes have strong melody, rhythm and structure
are regular and well-proportioned, the artistic techniques are relatively rich and diverse, and the expression of emotions is relatively euphemistic, embodying lyricism in the narrative.
20. The corresponding two-sentence structure in folk songs and its changing forms. The so-called corresponding structure in folk songs is a segment composed of two phrases, also called upper and lower sentences. These two phrases respond to each other, complement each other, and express the same musical content. In the two-sentence structure of the correspondence type, the falling sounds at the end of the upper and lower sentences often form a fourth- and fifth-degree relationship.
Most of the northern folk songs have a corresponding two-sentence structure, such as "Xintianyou" in northern Shaanxi, "Shanqu" in Shanxi, and "Hua'er" in Gansu and Qinghai. The four-sentence structure is common in southern folk songs, and they are also closely related to the two-sentence structure. Some are repetitions of two sentences or repetitions with slight changes, and some have larger changes in the third sentence. The "Five Sentence Songs" and "Continuous Eight Sentences" popular in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and southern Shaanxi are also based on the two-sentence structure.
There are also many corresponding two-line sections in minor keys, and there are also variations and development forms of this section. For example, a structure of upper and lower sentences plus the repetition of their changes forms a four-sentence corresponding structure; a structure of one upper sentence and two lower sentences; a structure of two upper sentences and one lower sentence, etc.
21. The rising-succession-turning section in folk songs and its modified forms The rising-succession-turning section in folk songs mainly has the following characteristics:
1. Falling tone: 2nd and 4th sentences The falling sounds at the end of the sentences are the same. The falling sounds at the end of the first sentence and the second and fourth sentences are corresponding to the fourth and fifth degrees. The falling sounds of the third sentence are different from the other sentences;
2 , Melody: The relationship between the 2nd and 4th sentences is either repetition (including variation and repetition), or there are some same or similar tones. The third sentence forms a certain contrast with the preceding and following phrases in terms of melody line, rhythm, etc.
Folk songs include beginnings, successions, and transitions, such as Zhengtiao folk songs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. This structure is more common in minor keys, and there are also variations and developments of this structure.
22. The evolution of folk songs. The variation in the spread of folk songs is very common and exists widely in various categories. In the minor key, the changes are more prominent, including: regional variation, emotional rendering variation, expression function broadening variation, genre cross-penetration variation, etc.
These variation categories are specifically reflected in music, with the following techniques:
1. Adding flowers;
2. Reducing;
3. Expanding;
4. Change the musical structure;
5. Change the mode or key;
6. Change the genre or the mutual penetration between different genres, etc.
23. Shi Tune Shi Tune is the most standardized and mature type of minor-key folk songs. It has the following characteristics:
1. It has been circulated for a long time and has a wide range of singing.
2. Not only ordinary people sing, but also professional or semi-professional artists perform commercial singing in lively public places.
3. Due to its long circulation time and wide range, the same tune often has a variety of lyrics. In order to adapt to different themes,
different musical characters and different local styles, the time tune is adjusted and adapted to changes in other factors of music on the basis of a generally stable basic melody framework. Some variations are more variable. Therefore, a time tune often has a flexible performance function.
4. Due to the commercial nature of the artist's singing, in order to strive for benefits, the artist has worked hard to process and transform the tunes so that they have a rigorous and regular structure, rich rhythms and tones, and meticulous accents, etc. .
5. Due to the above reasons, seasonal tunes are often absorbed into opera, rap and folk instrumental music and become tunes.
24. Long tune and short tune. Long tune and short tune are the traditional genre classifications of Mongolian folk songs. Long-tune folk songs are pastoral genres that reflect the nomadic life of the Mongolian people. They have a relatively long length, free rhythm, broad breath, deep emotions, and are decorated with unique and delicate vibrato. Short-key folk songs are shorter in length, have compact tunes, neat and distinct rhythms, and a relatively narrow range. Whether they are long-key folk songs or short-key folk songs, there are a large number of large jumping intervals that are characteristic of Mongolian music.
25. Kazakh playing and singing songs Playing and singing songs are one of the forms of Kazakh folk songs. They are accompanied by the Kazakh plucked instrument tambula and are played and sung by the singers
by themselves. The songs have no fixed lyrics and are improvised and sung by the singers. The tunes are relatively long in length, the music structure is not very regular, and the rhythm is relatively complex. Mixed beats based on 3/8 beats are often used, and the tunes are highly linguistic and narrative.
26. Neutral tone Neutral tone, also called 3/4 tone or "living tone", is one of the characteristics of the typical Persian-Arab music system in Uyghur music. Due to the complexity of the historical development process, Uyghur folk songs include the three major music systems in the world, namely: Chinese music system, European music system and Persian-Arabic music system. Among them, the Persian-Arabic music system is its most important and representative music system.
The neutral tone is raised or lowered by 1/4 than the usual whole tone, and at the same time it moves up and down in the range of 1/4-2/4 whole tone.
27. Tibetan Drinking Songs Tibetan drinking songs are folk songs sung when drinking and toasting, sometimes accompanied by simple dance movements. They are an art form very popular among urban and rural Tibetan people. During traditional festivals, gatherings of relatives and friends, or weddings, people sit around the Tibetan square table in order of seniority. The sommelier is usually a woman, who takes turns pouring wine for each person according to their age, and performs singing and dancing. The drinker must follow the song and the meaning of the words to complete the procedures of receiving the wine glass, flicking the wine three times with the ring finger to the sky, taking three sips of wine, and toasting.
28. Four major tunes "Four major tunes" originated from the Nisu branch of the Yi people in Yunnan. It is a form of folk routine closely connected with the traditional social customs and love activities of young men and women. This customary activity is called "eating fire, grass and smoke" by the Nisu people. It is usually held in the evening in the suburbs, temples, ancestral halls or public houses at the head of the village. It has three contents: vernacular, antiphonal music, and string dancing. Among them, the antiphonal songs are the "four major tunes".
The "Four Major Tune" is the general name for "Haicai Tune", "Yam Tune", "Four Tune" and "Wushan Tune", which are spread in the four areas where the Nisu people live respectively. A variety of different vocal tunes and suite forms, characterized by long length, rigorous structure, deep melody, and high singing skills.
29. Polyphonic folk songs of ethnic minorities. Judging from the current collection of information, polyphonic folk songs of ethnic minorities in my country are more concentrated in the south, such as Zhuang, Dong, Maonan, Tujia, Miao, Yao, She, Yi, Naxi, Gaoshan and so on. Polyphonic folk songs mainly arise from traditional group labor and group customary gatherings (such as singing gatherings, ritual dances, marriage accompaniments, etc.). The textural structures of these polyphonic folk songs include round singing, the combination of main melody and imitative melody, the combination of sustained bass or fixed tone pattern and main melody, the combination of branch melody and main melody, and the combination of harmony and antiphonal. Five categories of positions.
30. Khumai is a special multi-part singing method in Mongolian folk songs, in which one person sings two parts at the same time. While the vocal cords continue to emit solid sounds, they also emit high-pitched overtones through the impact of the breath, and adjust the breath to make the overtones form a melody, while the solid sounds are sustained bass. Khumai singers with advanced skills can simultaneously sing overtone tunes with beautiful melody and rich accents on the basis of the sustained bass produced by themselves.