Any casual or serious folk musicians in the crowd?

I'm a dabbling, casual musician. I don't take it particularly seriously but I enjoy playing for myself and my friends and family occasionally.

I used to mostly compose original stuff, but in my middling age I've grown more and more attracted to very old folk songs and classical tunes.

I've been working on polishing my performance of a short set of songs for guitar recently, and then slowly adding the lyrical accompaniment to those that apply.

My current repertoire includes
Greensleeves
Scarborough fair
Bridget O'Malley
Auld Lang Syne
House of the Rising Sun (the most modern song I play)

and for variety
Fur Elise
and Minuet in G

I'm hoping to expand my repertoire to a wide list of classic ballads and traditionals like If I had a hammer, this land is my land, the elfin knight, blowin in the wind, and so on

Anyone else share a love of folk music and ballads?

I like the songs that were sung on cattle drives and wagon trains, like:

Home on the Range
Oh, Susannah
Old Dan Tucker
Nearer My God To Thee
In the Sweet By and By

I don't know how old these are though they sound old:

One I really like that is sung by Dolly Parton and there is another version is Mule Skinner Blues.

I really like Flat Top Box by Rosanne Cash.

Anne Miller wrote:I like the songs that were sung on cattle drives and wagon trains, like:

Home on the Range
Oh, Susannah
Old Dan Tucker
Nearer My God To Thee
In the Sweet By and By

There must have been a record with several of these on it that my mother's mother had. Even just the titles reminds me of spending time with her.

"Oh Susannah! Don't you cry for me, For I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee."

Looking into it a little it appears Stephen Foster is one of the major music writers from that era! Didn't know that until today.

Stephen Foster was lost in my memory, thanks for reminding me.

These songs that he wrote were also lost memories:

"Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "Old Black Joe", and "Beautiful Dreamer".

I remember singing them all at some point, except "Old folks at Home" though I bet if I heard it I would remember that song.

When I read about folks from that era I am surprised at how many were musicians and carried musical instruments on cattle drives.

Thanks for an interesting topic.

Growing up I had a lot of children's records though again those are lost memories.  Maybe all those children's record is why I love music still today. I only remember my mother having on record which was a 45 rpm.  Sam Cooke's "You Send Me".

Before I started to learn to play guitar, I determined that I would learn and play folk music.

What I didn't plan on at the time, is that I would learn it in Sanskrit.

Hey, count me in.

I've been known to strum a song or two around a fire. People don't seem to mind. Sometimes they insist I bring a guitar, and pour me a few strong ones. And then they can't shut me up, because I know hundreds of songs.

What I see, over and over, is that live music is better. By a country mile. Live music forever! Live music is real! Spotify is spam, theft in a can.

I've been in bands in the past. The most recent was a cover duo where he played guitar and banjo while I sang and "played" kazoo. Nowadays I sing in the car while running errands, or when traveling in the back of Doug (the pickup truck here at Wheaton Labs).

In that duo project, we covered '80s and '90s pop tunes in a country- or bluegrass-style, and sprinkled in a few legit country songs to apply a veneer of culture. My personal favourites were Johnny Cash and Utah Phillips, and I continue to warble those out a capella from time to time.

I mostly-agree that live music is the best music, but most often I've enjoyed myself as a performer more than as an audience member. When not on stage, I find that I do mostly the wallflower thing and I suppose I'm content with that.

Stephen, count yourself lucky. You have the gift.

I have bought a few used guitars in the past, from guys who desperately wanted to play, and took lessons over and over, and just couldn't make it click. When I put the instrument through its paces, they said the same thing: "Well, I guess it's not the guitar." Always kinda felt bad about that.

Keep finding a place for your gift to move people. Many desire it, few have it. My 2c.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:Before I started to learn to play guitar, I determined that I would learn and play folk music.

What I didn't plan on at the time, is that I would learn it in Sanskrit.

Count me intrigued. What resources do you use to learn songs in sanskrit? That's very old indeed.