← Guide / Reference / Folk style reference
Reference
Folk style reference
Celtic, Nordic, Balkan, klezmer, flamenco, fado, Appalachian, singer-songwriter and neighbouring acoustic traditions.
How to use this list
Each row pairs a style term with a cue line written in the same grammar: what the music is, what plays it, roughly how fast, and how it feels. Copy the cue, then change one thing at a time so you can tell which token moved the result.
Folk entries usually name a lead instrument and a rhythmic feel; those two are what separate a reel from an air or a ballad from a work song.
Combining entries
Odd meters matter here. If the entry says 7/8 or 6/8, keep it in the prompt — dropping it flattens the dance back to plain 4/4.
If a take drifts away from what you wanted, remove tokens rather than adding more. Long prompts dilute; short, specific ones steer.
| Anglo ballad | english folk ballad, modal melody, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, free-breathing tempo, 78 BPM, plain narrative vocal |
| Celtic reel | celtic reel, fiddle and tin whistle unison, bodhran drive, 116 BPM in cut time, joyous session energy |
| Celtic air | celtic air, solo low whistle over harp, rubato phrasing, 60 BPM, misty aching beauty |
| Sea shanty | sea shanty, unaccompanied gang vocals, call-and-response, stomping pulse, 96 BPM, salt-and-rope grit |
| Nordic folk | nordic folk, nyckelharpa drone, close vocal harmony, frame drum, 88 BPM, cold pine-forest air |
| Balkan folk | balkan folk, 7/8 odd meter, accordion and clarinet, tapan drum, 148 BPM, spiraling village dance |
| Klezmer | klezmer, wailing clarinet, minor freygish scale, bouncing bass and drums, 132 BPM, bittersweet celebration |
| Flamenco | flamenco, percussive nylon guitar rasgueado, palmas handclaps, cajon, 108 BPM, raw cante vocal, proud sorrow |
| Fado | fado, portuguese guitarra tremolo, classical guitar, 66 BPM, dramatic saudade vocal, candlelit longing |
| Chanson | french chanson, accordion musette, brushed drums, walking bass, 104 BPM, conversational intimate vocal |
| American folk revival | folk revival, strummed acoustic and harmonica, upright bass, 112 BPM, earnest protest vocal |
| Singer-songwriter | singer-songwriter, fingerstyle acoustic guitar, subtle cello, brushed kit, 84 BPM, close confessional vocal |
| Freak folk | freak folk, odd tunings, humming drones, toy percussion, 90 BPM, quavering idiosyncratic vocal |
| Indie folk | indie folk, layered acoustic guitars, glockenspiel, group harmonies, 98 BPM, hopeful wistful mood |
| Folk rock | folk rock, jangling 12-string, solid backbeat, organ pad, 124 BPM, ringing harmony vocals |
| Chamber folk | chamber folk, acoustic guitar with string quartet, clarinet countermelody, 76 BPM, literate tenderness |
| Appalachian old-time | old-time appalachian, clawhammer banjo, fiddle drone, foot tap, 122 BPM, modal mountain melody |
| Bluegrass gospel | bluegrass gospel, tight family harmony, mandolin and banjo, 132 BPM, uplifting testimony |
| Cajun / Zydeco | zydeco, accordion riff, rubboard scrape, drums and bass, 132 BPM, sweaty Louisiana dance-hall joy |
| Andean folk | andean folk, quena flute melody, charango tremolo, bombo drum, 96 BPM, high-altitude longing |
| Nueva canción | nueva cancion, nylon guitar and charango, poetic vocal, gentle 6/8, 92 BPM, hopeful political warmth |
| Russian folk | russian folk, balalaika tremolo, accordion, accelerating dance, 140 BPM, minor-key exuberance |
| Irish pub sing-along | pub sing-along, accordion and guitar, stomping 4/4, 128 BPM, rowdy group chorus, beer-soaked joy |
| Ozark / string band | string band, twin fiddles, guitar bass runs, no drums, 118 BPM, dusty communal dance |
| Folk lament | folk lament, unaccompanied voice, modal ornament, distant room reverb, free tempo, raw grief |
| Murder ballad | murder ballad, dark open-tuned guitar, sparse drum thud, 76 BPM, ominous narrative vocal |
| Work song | work song, hammer-strike pulse, leader-and-chorus vocals, no instruments, 86 BPM, weary determination |
| Alpine folk | alpine folk, yodeling vocal, accordion and brass, waltz lilt, 160 BPM in 3, mountain cheer |
| Bothy / a cappella trio | a cappella folk trio, close modal harmony, no instruments, 72 BPM, austere and luminous |
| Neo-folk | neo-folk, martial acoustic strum, low drone, baritone vocal, 84 BPM, solemn ritual air |
Raw data: /guide/reference/lists/folk-list.json · 30 entries
FAQ
How do I get an unaccompanied vocal?
Use a cue that says no instruments or a cappella, remove all instrument tokens, and keep the tempo description free-form.
Do I have to use the whole folk cue line?
No. The lines are built from independent tokens, so you can keep the two or three that matter and drop the rest without breaking the grammar.
Can I mix this list with another one?
Yes — keep one rhythm description, one lead instrument, one production word and a single tempo. Competing rhythm descriptions are the usual cause of muddled results.