Probably by volume, but it used to be super common for any random group of people to all know the same melodies, or how to play it on piano. A lot of union songs for instance are old American traditional songs with all the lyrics changed. The expectation was that all the union members knew the tunes already.
My college fraternity - not a music fraternity, just a regular social fraternity at a tech school - had a couple songbooks from the 50s. Dozens of songs (not sure if original or variations of standards I didn't recognize), almost all meant for non-ceremonial use. I don't think you would go to the expense of printing something like that unless people were gonna use it. There was no musical tradition at all when I was in school, no group play whatsoever.
I do know that we spend a lot more time listening to music than people back then.
That sounds legit cool tho. I wonder if more people play/learn music today than back then.
Probably by volume, but it used to be super common for any random group of people to all know the same melodies, or how to play it on piano. A lot of union songs for instance are old American traditional songs with all the lyrics changed. The expectation was that all the union members knew the tunes already.
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My college fraternity - not a music fraternity, just a regular social fraternity at a tech school - had a couple songbooks from the 50s. Dozens of songs (not sure if original or variations of standards I didn't recognize), almost all meant for non-ceremonial use. I don't think you would go to the expense of printing something like that unless people were gonna use it. There was no musical tradition at all when I was in school, no group play whatsoever.
I do know that we spend a lot more time listening to music than people back then.