什麼是歌曲

伴隨或不伴隨樂器演奏，以聲音表現之短且通常簡單、單一的音樂作品。民謠－－以口頭而非書面形式傳述之不知作曲者的傳統音樂－－已經存在數千年，但很少在先人資料中遺留下遺蹟。實際上，所有已知的文字前社會都有歌曲的曲目。民謠常常伴隨着宗教的儀式、舞蹈、勞動、或求愛，他們可能在於敘述故事或表達情感，而音樂則跟隨着明顯的習俗並常常是重複的。由特別的作曲者及詩人所寫的歌曲則較爲不落俗套，也不會觸及特殊活動。在西方，世俗藝術歌曲的連續傳統開始於十二、十三世紀的遊吟詩人（troubadour）、行吟詩人（trouvère）以及戀詩歌手。發源於經文歌之具多音變化的歌曲則在十三世紀開始出現。十四世紀在固定樂思中產生了規模很大的多音變化歌曲。稍後，義大利牧歌成爲最着名的作品。以符號表示伴奏的獨奏歌曲在十六世紀出現。而浪漫的樂章使得十九世紀成爲藝術歌曲的黃金時期，特別是德國利德。在二十世紀，流行歌曲取代了較文雅的藝術歌曲，而且，流行音樂在今日與流行歌曲同義。

song

Short and usually simple piece of music for voice, with or without instrumental accompaniment. Folk songs—traditional songs without a known composer transmitted orally rather than in written form—have existed for millennia, but have left few traces in ancient sources. Virtually all known preliterate societies have a repertory of songs. Folk songs often accompany religious ceremonies, dancing, labor, or courting; they may tell stories or express emotions; the music follows obvious conventions and is often repetitive. Songs written by a particular composer and poet generally are more sophisticated and are not attached to activities. In the West, the continuous tradition of secular art songs begins with the troubadours, trouvères, and minnesingers of the 12th-13th century. Polyphonic songs, originating in the motet, begin to appear in the 13th century. The 14th century produced a great body of polyphonic songs in the formes fixes. Later the Italian madrigal becomes the most distinguished genre. Notated accompaniments to solo songs appear in the 16th century. The Romantic movement made the 19th century a golden age for the art song, notably the German lied. In the 20th century the popular song displaced the more cultivated art song, and popular music is today synonymous with popular song.