Siirdevormilised laulumängud

Juba 17.–18. sajandil hakkas regilaulu kõrvale kujunema uuem laulustiil, mida mõjutasid peamiselt lääne-, aga ka idapoolsed traditsioonid. Võeti kasutusele uutmoodi värsimõõt, laulud ehitati üles värsipaaride või koguni neljarealiste salmide kaupa ja algriimi kõrval hakati kasutama lõppriimi. Salmideks jagunemise põhimõte seostus viiside keerulisemaks muutuva vormiga. Mitmetes laululiikides segunesid regilaulu tunnused (eri kombinatsioonides) uuema stiili tunnustega. Kujunenud laulukihistust on nimetatud siirdevormiliseks.

Eestis on hulk siirdevormilisi laulumänge, millel leidub paralleele Euroopas. Esialgu kohandati mujalt laenatud mängud veel regilaulustiiliga, aga lauludes ja mängude liikumistes on juba ka uuema stiili elemente.

Game songs in the
transitional style

Parallel to runosong a newer singing style already began to take shape in the 17th - 18th centuries that had influences mostly from western but also eastern traditions. A new type of verse metre appeared, songs were formed of two- or even four-line couplets, and beside alliteration, the practice of rhyming the verse lines was brought into use. Division into couplets was related to the form of melodies becoming more complex. In many types of songs the characteristics of runosong (in different combinations) mixed with the characteristics of the newer song style. This style has been called the transitional style.

There are plenty of game songs in transitional style in Estonia that have parallels in European tradition. At first, games borrowed from elsewhere were still adapted to runosong style, but songs and game movements already had elements of the newer style as well.