▁requires ▁learning ▁by ▁ear , ▁although ▁notation ▁has ▁evol ved ▁in ▁some ▁cult ures . ▁D ifferent ▁cult ures ▁may ▁have ▁different ▁not ions ▁concerning ▁a ▁division ▁between ▁" folk " ▁music ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁of ▁" art " ▁and ▁" court " ▁music ▁on ▁the ▁other . ▁In ▁the ▁pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁popular ▁music ▁gen res , ▁some ▁traditional ▁folk ▁music ▁became ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁" World ▁music " ▁or ▁" Ro ots ▁music ". ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁term ▁" fol kl ore ", ▁to ▁describe ▁traditional ▁folk ▁music ▁and ▁dance , ▁entered ▁the ▁voc ab ul ary ▁of ▁many ▁contin ental ▁European ▁nations , ▁each ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁its ▁folk - song ▁collect ors ▁and ▁rev ival ists . ▁The ▁distinction ▁between ▁" authentic " ▁folk ▁and ▁national ▁and ▁popular ▁song ▁in ▁general ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁loose , ▁particularly ▁in ▁America ▁and ▁Germany ▁– ▁for ▁example ▁popular ▁song writ ers ▁such ▁as ▁Stephen ▁F oster ▁could ▁be ▁term ed ▁" folk " ▁in ▁America . ▁ ▁The ▁International ▁Fol k ▁Music ▁Council ▁definition ▁allows ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁can ▁also ▁apply ▁to ▁music ▁that , ▁"... has ▁origin ated ▁with ▁an ▁individual ▁composer ▁and ▁has ▁subsequently ▁been ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁un written , ▁living ▁tradition ▁of ▁a ▁community . ▁But ▁the ▁term ▁does ▁not ▁cover ▁a ▁song , ▁dance , ▁or ▁t une ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁taken ▁over ▁ready - made ▁and ▁remains ▁un changed ." ▁ ▁The ▁post – World ▁War ▁II ▁folk ▁rev ival ▁in