Folk Music Traditions

About Folk Music Traditions

Folk Music Traditions is a free general knowledge quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 8 easy, 6 medium, 1 hard questions. Explore the rich tapestry of folk music from America and around the world! A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. Which American folk singer wrote 'This Land Is Your Land'?

   Answer: Woody Guthrie

   Woody Guthrie wrote 'This Land Is Your Land' in 1940 as a response to Irving Berlin's 'God Bless America.' It has become one of America's most iconic folk songs.

2. 2. Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 for his contributions to what?

   Answer: Songwriting and poetry

   Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize 'for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.' Songs like 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'The Times They Are a-Changin'' defined an era.

3. 3. The banjo, widely used in American folk and bluegrass, has roots in the music of which region?

   Answer: West African musical traditions

   The banjo evolved from gourd-bodied stringed instruments brought to America by enslaved Africans. It became central to American folk, bluegrass, and country music in the 18th and 19th centuries.

4. 4. Which Scottish poet wrote 'Auld Lang Syne,' sung worldwide on New Year's Eve?

   Answer: Robert Burns

   Robert Burns published 'Auld Lang Syne' in 1788, based on an older folk song. The title translates roughly as 'old long since' or 'days gone by.' Guy Lombardo popularized the New Year's tradition.

5. 5. What style of American roots music originated in the Appalachian Mountains?

   Answer: Bluegrass

   Bluegrass developed from the folk music of Appalachian settlers, blending Scots-Irish fiddle tunes, African American blues, and gospel. Bill Monroe is considered the 'Father of Bluegrass.'

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Pete Seeger adapted 'We Shall Overcome' from an old gospel hymn and taught it at civil rights workshops. It became the anthem of the movement, sung at marches and rallies across the nation.
• ✓Flamenco developed in Andalusia, southern Spain, drawing on Roma (Gypsy), Moorish, Jewish, and Andalusian folk traditions. It features guitar, singing (cante), dance (baile), and hand clapping (palmas).
• ✓The Kingston Trio's 'Tom Dooley' sold millions of copies and brought folk music to mainstream audiences. This sparked the folk revival of the late 1950s and 1960s, paving the way for Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and many others.