So, I'm playing a kind-of-Bard, and I was wondering if people had a good repository for generally very generic/ adaptable songs suited for bardic performances? There' are a few classics, anything Lord of the Ringsy tends to be pretty good, but many folk songs are quite explicitly fixed for real world references that aren't terribly easy to simply smooth out.

Check out Heather Dale on youtube.  Not everything is suitable, but there's some good stuff by her.  I absolutely adore Changeling Child: yes, it references an Irish place once by name, but it sounds vaguely Elvish when she says it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqOqEU1xwxI

Mordred's Lullaby is an Arthurian theme, but is generically worded enough to fit other settings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7NZPfl0l4

I know these are a bit modern in instruments, but the underlying sound is good.

Then there's anything by Heather Alexander, especially some of her stuff for the Mercedes Lackey Heralds of Valdemar series.  Battle Dawn is one of my favorites and I tweaked the lyrics once for a Changeling Viking game.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjqm4r6EbuE

Hope these help get you started.
This message was last edited by the user at 13:21, Fri 23 Jan 2015.

Oh!  And if you can get a hold of their music, the Pyrates Royale are awesome for a sea-themed bard!  They've got some stuff on youtube, but they're pretty good about protecting their copyrights and it's hard to find good copies of their stuff.

Nickel Creek has some tunes that I think are probably generic enough for your purposes. Sweet Afton springs immediately to mind.

Glenn Yarbrough is also good, even the stuff that wasn't for the animated version of The Hobbit.
This message was last edited by the user at 13:37, Fri 23 Jan 2015.

Check out "Molly and the Tinker".  They have released at least thirteen albums that I know of.  They have worked in the Chicago area since 1985.

http://www.bing.com/videos/sea...3947FF77F29726BC9003

http://www.bing.com/videos/sea...89F4283B14988445A116

http://www.bing.com/videos/sea...DDE85BA5D3BDBDE2732D

You might want to check out the website ancientfm.com.  It's free internet radio with medieval music playing constantly, so if you want some vaguely period-appropriate tunes playing in the background to represent a minstrel or three, it's a good resource!  :)

You should check out this website here: http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html.  I don't believe it has songs past 1900.  Also, a lot of songs by Gordon Lightfoot would be fantastic as is, and some would only need minimal adaptation.  A lot of oldies music would work, too.  I often take brand new songs and adapt them fairly easily.  Matt Nathanson, a good lot of country songs (think George Strait in particular, Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band) work great as they are or with minor changes, Ed Sheeran, and so on.  If you aren't a musician, poet, or wordsmith but you really like a particular song or theme, you might try to find one to help you adapt it to suit.  Feel free to rMail me (not a poet or wordsmith, but I am a musician at least) if you want to try to get one to work or if you want me to list some songs I like to use when playing bards or even to let you know when I find a new artist or song you might want to use.

I was just about to suggest that, too. Good on ya.

Wow, so much material, so fast! I don't know where to begin! Looks like I have a completely opposite problem now! Thanks everyone! Feel free to keep this going for more info and more people to reference!

No kidding, I am thanking you too.  I also have a bard-like character at low levels.  Although I am more interested in the lyrics.  But those should be easy to find.  Now that I know where to look.

I am so copying all this down for future use!

Depending on the culture of your bard, I use allot of folk metal lyrics for a character I play. Every tavern I hit allows me to post a new drinking song. Alestorm is good for this, so is Tyr and Three Inches of Blood (if your going for a warrior-bard type). Course I suppose you could go for the traditional ones listed, I'm a metalhead so I use what I listen too. Sometimes its easy to just change a few words around, sometimes not so much - but for drinking songs that even works too throw in a weird word or two.

My daddy raised me on oldies, CCR and other real (classic) rock, and Gordon Lightfoot.  Even some CCR songs could work come to think of it.  Gosh I love them.  My momma raised me on country.  I'm a clasically trained vocalist and pianist so of course I love good classical music.  And like most people, I found newer rock, pop, R&B, and grunge/alternative and such on my own.  I love it all.  The only genres I don't care for much?  Bluegrass and gospel.  But even those genres certainly have some good songs, there's no denying that.

I strongly recommend Gordon Lightfoot, though.  He's brilliant.  Oh!  Dan Fogelberg has a couple of good songs that would be great depending on what you're looking for.  "Longer" would be a spectacular fantasy love song, in my opinion.  And it's beautiful.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:28, Fri 23 Jan 2015.

Speaking of Dans, Dan Jenks may be worth a looksee for this as well.