Very few, if any, music scholars would claim that there are any folk music traditions that can be considered specific to a distinct group of people and with characteristics undiluted by contact with the music of other peoples; thus, the folk music traditions described herein overlap in varying degrees with each other.
It is unlikely that music scholars would claim the existence of isolated folk music traditions untouched by external influences; instead, the folk music traditions discussed here share similarities and differences with one another to varying extents.