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Folk and Traditional Music from CreekDontRise.comTM

Written by Paul Race for Creek Don't RiseTM, Folkarama.comTM,
and School Of The RockTM
When we started Creek Don't Rise(tm), we were hoping to publish downloadable sheet music and maybe MP3s of the hundred or so folk songs that pretty much everyone interested in traditional music ought to be exposed to as a "baseline" for further learning. Songs "everybody knew" when I was growing up in the 1950s and '60s, but most kids today have never heard.

That hasn't happened yet - we've been too busy answering reader questions about other topics. However we have collected some articles that might be helpful for folks trying to figure out this whole "folk song" thing. Not all of them are on this web site, but you'll figure that out if you click the links.

Our "flagship" article on Folk music is our article on the Folk Revival, which brought Folk and Folk-inspired music into millions of homes in the 1950s and 1060s. Whether you lived through the movement, or just heard about it from other folks, you should enjoy getting a fresh perspective on the Folk Revival, where it came from, where it went, and how it's still influencing many kinds of music today. Click on the picture or the link below to see that article.

This is the banner of our 'What Was the Folk Revival' article, showing some of the 'movers and shakers' of the movement. Click to go to the article.What Was the Folk Revival?

Relate articles include:

  • How To Folk - Tips and tricks to help Folk newbies learn and adapt quickly, not only to Folk music, but to the Folk community in general.

  • "Who Owns Folk Songs." An article that any musician or music teacher who works with traditional music should read: Among other things, the article encourages folks to play and record public domain material as much as possible, just to keep it in the public domain. Yes, that's a thing.

Collections So Far - Some of the songs we have documented have gotten onto various lists because readers requested more information about the song or were having trouble tracking it down, period. So if you are trying to find music for a folk song, contact us. We may be able to move your choice up in the "queue."

The collections we have so far are:

  • What "Folk Songs" Should I Know or Know About? - Old Folkies like me know 300-400 songs that they can lead or at least join in on at Folk gatherings or concerts. This article lists and links to about 25 that will help you get a "feel" for the kinds of songs newbies are likely to encounter.

  • Banjo Songs - Folk songs that we've arranged for banjo. Several of them are part of our folk banjo tutorial, so each one introduces a new principle or a technique. There are also "one-offs" that we put up in response to reader questions, etc.,

  • Classic Train Songs

  • Christmas songs

Please check back for more details (and hopefully new "snippets" of music) as the project progresses.


Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well.

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to visit the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.

All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted ? 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.
Creek Dont' Rise(tm) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Note: Creek Don't Rise (tm) is Paul Race's name for his resources supporting the history and
music of the North American Heartland as well as additional kinds of acoustic and traditional music.

For questions, comments, suggestions, trouble reports, etc. about this page or this site, please contact us.

Visit related pages and affiliated sites:
- Music -
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
 Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive. Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. Resources for learning Folk Music and instruments quickly Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos. Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson. Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Learn more about our newsletter for roots-based and acoustic music. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
- Trains and Hobbies -
Free building projects for your vintage railroad or Christmas village.
 Visit Lionel Trains. Click to see Thomas Kinkaded-inspired Holiday Trains and Villages. Big Christmas Train Primer: Choosing and using model trains with holiday themes Building temporary and permanent railroads with big model trains Click to see HO scale trains with your favorite team's colors.
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles -
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site. Visit Howard Lamey's glitterhouse gallery, with free project plans, graphics, and instructions. Click to return to the Old Christmas Tree Lights Table of Contents Page Click to sign up for Maria Cudequest's craft and collectibles blog.
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
 Visit the largest and most complete cardboard Christmas 'Putz' house resource on the Internet.
- Family Activities and Crafts -
Click to see reviews of our favorite family-friendly Christmas movies. Free, Family-Friendly Christmas Stories Decorate your tree the old-fashioned way with these kid-friendly projects. Free plans and instructions for starting a hobby building vintage-style cardboard Christmas houses. Click to find free, family-friendly Christmas poems and - in some cases - their stories. Traditional Home-Made Ornaments