According to its function or - characterized by the use of a poetic text or characteristic subject, but not by one common melody-, the Kawésqar songs can be classified in three groups:
Affective comunicative songs, that express human feelings. They include five song-type: about love, cradle, and joy. They are the largest group and have a great amount of versions.
Imitative songs, that include numerous animals and birds imitations and material imitations of human actions and objects. At the present moment these are reduced to three song-type: the fine wolf, of the liles ducks and the wolf toruno.
Playful songs that consiste of four song-type: playing with the sea, repertoire of 1959; playing round, swing and firing, the repertoire of 1971.
In each of these three groups one song-type is emphasized by its use, functionality and abundance of versions. These are, the songs of love, the fine wolf and playing round, all which is represented in the repertoire of 1959 and 1971.
A generalized weakening of the traditional music expressions has been produced as a result of the dramatic cultural change, disintegration and diminution of the ethnic group .