The phrase
traditional music can be used in different, sometimes conflicting ways, but probably the most common meaning is the ethnic music of a place, played in a social context, and
passed on by ear. The term is sometimes, but not always, used interchangeably with
folk music, although the latter phrase is sometimes restricted to a kind of modern performance music more closely related to the style and ethos of
rock and roll than traditional music. An example is
Irish traditional music.
See also: