The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108252 Message #2250758
Posted By: PoppaGator
01-Feb-08 - 03:11 PM
Thread Name: Pianos In Folk Music
Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
Depends on what you mean by "folk music." As always!
During the century or so immediately before the invention of audio recording, most people's experience of music, in homes and taverns and other places, involved the piano. Where no one able to play was available, there were player pianos. A whole lot of amateur singing-along occurred in gatherings around pianos. To me, that just about defines "folk."
On the other hand, my own current-day experience of the music most of us consider to be "folk" involves more portable instruments. In my (American) experience, the acoustic guitar has always seemed to be the definitive folk-music instrument. But since then, I've learned that some folks consider the guitar to be anethema to their conceptions of folk music: only fiddles, concertinas, and tin whistles need apply...
Each to his own. As always!