Traditional ballads express emotions through down-tempo melodies and somber tones. While that can certainly be the vibe for some of our moodiest days, they don’t hit quite as hard as their anthemic ...

"A selection from the materials collected and edited by Mr. Child ... prepared in accordance with a plan which he had approved. Each of the three hundred and five ballads in his large collection ...

Introduction -- The harmonic language of the popular ballad -- Rhythmic features of the popular ballad -- Melodic design : descriptive categories -- The lyric : its qualities and melodic roles -- Form ...