When Appalachian settlers sang songs based on their memories of their "old countries" (England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, African-American South and other places) they often sang very long ballads. These ballads told stories of lost love, tragic death, dying children, crime, sailors lost at sea and other terrible fates and difficult lives. Listen to these ballads from Kentucky, and see if you can tell which tragedy or terrible fate occurred and prepare to share your analysis with classmates.
Listen to the excerpts of several ballads (DLA and Wolfe collections).
Then divide students into pairs or small groups. Assign each small group one ballad to analyze, so that students are listening to different ballads. Give time for students to listen to their assigned ballad carefully and more than once, so that they can agree on the analysis. With partners, have students analyze the ballads for
- Who is telling the story?
- How many singers?
- Is the key major or minor?
- What is the general feeling you have after listening?
- What elements in the music created those feelings? (text, timbre, tonality, harmonies, meter, syncopation, etc.)
Give each group an opportunity for students to share their analysis with class as entire class listens again to entire ballad.
Guide students to point out significant elements in the music, including tonality, form, rhythmic organization and accompaniment.
Have each student write down their group's analysis, making corrections or revisions after sharing with class members.
Preparing to Listen
The ballads on the DLA recordings were sung by Appalachian folk singers, who are not conservatory trained vocalists.
Prepare students to hear elderly voices, thick accents and unfamiliar vocal timbres prior to listening.