folkie
Guitar-and-vocals purist
A folkie is someone devoted to folk music—either a performer in the genre or an enthusiastic fan.
The term carries affectionate connotations of acoustic guitars, coffeehouses, and earnest singer-songwriters: The folkies gathered at the open mic every Thursday.
Sometimes used dismissively by those outside the scene to suggest naïveté or excessive earnestness.
Self-composing musical performer
- troubadourMedieval Provençal lyric poet
- balladeerSinger of narrative songs
- bardPoet of epics
- minstrelTraveling performer of songs
guitarist · busker · performer · vocalist · crooner · chanteuse · serenader · storyteller
Establishment serving brewed beverages
- hootenannyFolk music social gathering
- open-micUnscreened performance event
- circleCurved closed shape
- singalongCommunal vocal session
festival · gathering · commune · collective · scene · fellowship · solidarity · grassroots
Disconnected from power
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerstylePlucking strings directly
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
melody · harmony · chord · tuning · capo · fretboard · soundhole · wooden
Inherited cultural legacy
- revivalReturn after decline
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- loreTraditional knowledge transmitted orally
customs · ballads · spirituals · Appalachian · Celtic · Americana · archive
Verified as original
- earthyCoarse and unpretentious
- homespunPlain and unpretentious
- unpretentiousLacking false superiority
- rusticRural and unrefined
unaffected · sincere · heartfelt · simple · organic · lo-fi · intimate · stripped-down
singer-songwriter
Self-composing musical performer
- troubadourMedieval Provençal lyric poet
- balladeerSinger of narrative songs
- bardPoet of epics
minstrel · guitarist · busker · performer · vocalist · crooner · chanteuse · serenader · storyteller · lyricist
coffeehouse
Establishment serving brewed beverages
- hootenannyFolk music social gathering
- open-micUnscreened performance event
- circleCurved closed shape
singalong · festival · gathering · commune · collective · scene · fellowship · solidarity · grassroots · DIY
unplugged
Disconnected from power
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerstylePlucking strings directly
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
resonance · melody · harmony · chord · tuning · capo · fretboard · soundhole · wooden · luthier
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
lore · customs · ballads · spirituals · Appalachian · Celtic · Americana · archive
authentic
Verified as original
- earthyCoarse and unpretentious
- homespunPlain and unpretentious
- unpretentiousLacking false superiority
rustic · unaffected · sincere · heartfelt · simple · organic · lo-fi · intimate · stripped-down · rootsy
devotee
Zealous admirer or follower
- aficionadoKnowledgeable, passionate follower
- fanAdmirer or air mover
- buffAvid fan; also burnish
collector · connoisseur · purist · hobbyist · admirer · maven · geek · nerd · zealot · patron
- folk guitarUnplugged stringed instrument for traditional music
- rural folkNon-urban population
- folk taleTraditional oral narrative
- folk songTraditional community music
- folk musicCommunity-born acoustic songs
- folk heroCelebrated figure from tradition
folk, folklore, folksy, folktale, folksong, folkways, folksinger, folklife, folky