在陜北,人們喜、怒、哀、樂的情感都可以用民歌的形式來表達。無論是站在崇山峻嶺之巔,還是走在彎彎曲曲的山道上,或者行走在一馬平川的大路上,到處都可以聽到隨風飄來的悠揚歌聲,這就是陜北民歌。陜北民歌的種類很多,其中有四季歌、五更調、榆林小曲等,以小調和信天游為主。小調以敘事為主,一般都有場景、人物、故事情節,還有細節描寫。信天游是廣泛流行于陜北的一種民歌,篇幅比較短小,是即興創作的產物,可以根據不同情景自由吟唱。
In Northern Shaanxi, all the feelings of happiness, anger, sadness and joy can be expressed in folk songs. Wherever you go, standing on the top of the mountains, walking on the winding rocky roads, or marching on broad roads, you can always hear the sweet songs in the blow of wind—the Northern Shaanxi folk songs. Northern Shaanxi folk songs have many types, among which Small Tune and Xintianyou hold the leading position, such as Four Seasons Song, Early Morning Song, Yulin Tune and so on. Small Tune, mainly narrative, generally has scenes, characters, plots and details. Xintianyou is a kind of folk song widely spread in Northern Shaanxi. Short and created impromptu, it can be sung freely depending on different scenes.