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Traditional
Korean Instruments
String
Family
Ajaeng
A bowed seven to nine-string horizontal zither, is played with a
resined bow made of forsythia wood, which produces a rasping sound.
There are two types of ajaeng; jeong-ak ajaeng (7 string), used
primarily in court orchestras to reinforce the bass instrument with
thick low sounds and sanjo ajaeng (8 string), used in folk music
ensemble such as shinawii or in solo instrumental genre called sanjo,
which produces lighter and melancholy tunes. Gayageum
Gayageum
is the most well known Korean traditional zither related to the
Chinese cheng and the Japanese koto. It has 12 silk strings supported
by 12 moveable bridges. The thumb, index, middle and ring fingers
of the right hand pluck the strings, while the index and middle
fingers of left hand touch the strings of the left side of the moveable
bridges to control the pitches. There are two kinds of gayageum:
pungyu gayageum (also called beopgeum), used in court music ensemble,
has a comparatively broad soundboard that makes the space between
strings wide and produces bigger and lower sound, and sanjo gayageum,
used in folk ensemble and sanjo, is smaller in size with the space
between the strings narrow so that one may play rapid passages easily.
In recent time, the musicians have developed the various types of
modernized gayageum expanding its size and adding more strings,
designed to employ the wide range of pitches and expressions. Besides
the 12-sting gayageum, 17, 18. 21, and 25 string gayageum are used
in modern and newly composed pieces in Korea.
Geomungo
The six-stringed zither, geomungo, was created by the famous musician
Wang San-ak of the Koguryo period (B.C. 37- A.D. 668), and has long
been the most honored of Korean instruments, with its majestic deep
sounds, enjoying a prestige among the scholarly class. The second,
third and fourth strings are stretched over 16 fixed frets and tuned
by round pegs, while the other strings are stretched over moveable
bridges and tuned by moving the bridges to the left or right. The
strings are plucked with a short bamboo rod, which is held between
the index and middle fingers of the right hand, while left hand
presses on the strings to produces various pitches.
Haegeum
This two-stringed fiddle, believed to have been introduced from
China during the Goryeo period, was once played throughout Asia.
The haegeum has no finger board and is played vertically on the
left knee,with a bow scraped against two silk strings. It produces
a nasal tone and piercing sounds and hence is also called kkangkkangi.
Yanggeum
The yanggeum is a dulcimer thought to have been introduced from
Europe. It is the only Korean string instrument with strings of
steel instead of silk and by striking down lightly with a bow made
of thinly carved bamboo.
Wind
Family
Daegeum
A large transverse flute, dates back to 7th century Silla. It is
one of three transverse flutes, the large daegeum, the medium-sized
junggeum, and the small sogeum.
daegeum has one blowing hole, six finger holes, and an extra hole
covered with a thin membrane. It produces a distinctive buzzing
sound that is both refined and benign. Danso
Danso
A small, notched vertical flute mainly used in solo recitals, duet
performances, and chamber music. It is a popular instrument for
solo recitals as it produces the clearest sound of all the wind
instruments. It is also used in duet performances with saenghwang
or yanggeum. Duet performances of saenghwang and danso are called
saengso byeongju.
Piri
A cylindrical double-reed bamboo oboe with eight finger holes, one
in back for the thumb and seven in front. There are three different
kinds of pirl: the hyang-piri, literally a "native" Korean
oboe used for indigenous music, or hyang-ak; the se-piri, a smaller
soft-toned oboe used for chamber music and to accompany gagok vocal
music, and the dang-piri, a stouter Chinese oboe used for dang-ak,
the secular music of the Chinese Dang and Song dynasties.
T’aepyeongso
Another oboe-like instrument, the taepyeongso was introduced from
China during the Goryeo period and is used widely in daechwita (military
processional music), pungmul nori(farmers music), Buddhist music,
royal ancestral rite music, and sinawii, the instrumental accompaniment
to shaman dances. It has a conical bore, a cup-like metal bell,
and a short double reed, which fits into a metal mouthpiece. The
taepyeongso, also called nallari and hojeok, produces shrill piercing
sonuds.
Percussion
Family
Bak
This fan-shaped wooden clapper consists of six pieces of wood held
together by a deer-skin cord in the form of a fan. Since the Unified
Silla Kingdom, it has been used in court dance and music to signal
the beginning and end. The person playing the bak is called jipbak;
he serves as conductor or musical supervisor for the group.
Janggu
The janggu is an hourglass-shaped drum with two heads that are covered
with leather. The right head is struck with a thin bamboo stick
and the left head is hit by the left hand or by a hard wooden mallet.
It is one of the indispensable percussion instruments in Korean
traditional music that sustains the rhythmic flow by articulating
important rhythmic patterns. Because of its flexible nature and
its agility with complex rhythm, it is wildly used as accompaniment
to most of the compositions and repertoires of both Korean court
and folk music traditions including Tangak (Chinese court music),
Hyangak (Korean indigenous court music), sanjo, p'ansori, pungmulnori(farmer's
festival music) and shaman music.
Jing
A large. flat lapped bronze gong. the jing was wiaely used by the
general public and the milray. It is called daegeum when used for
jongya music and jing when used for pungmul nori. It is held in
one hand and struck with a mallet.
Kkwaenggwari
A small, lipped flat bronze gong chiefly used in farmer`s music
and dance, this instrument is called kkwaenggwari when used for
pung-mul nori. It is struck with a wooden stick with a knot on one
end. Usually the lead instrument in pungmul nori and the player
is called snagsoe.
Puk
The puk, used mainly in pungmulnori(farmer's festival music), is
a very popular percussion instrument along with two other percussions,
soripuk and janggu. The puk, made of cow skin, is usually placed
on the ground for performances. However, in some cases the puk is
hung from the shoulder with the skin facing outward on both sides.
Pyeonjong
This set of 16 chromatically tuned bronze bells hangs from an ornate
wooden frame. The bells are identical in size and shape, but very
in thickness. The instrument was introduced to Korea during the
rule of King Yejong(r.1105-1122) of Goryeo. It is used in court
music. The bells are arranged in two rows, eight bells in each.
They produce sounds when struck with a mallet made of animal horn.
The thicker the bell, the higher the sound.
Pyeongyeong
This tuned sonorous chime, also introduced form China during the
rule of King Yejong of Goryeo, is used in court music. It consists
of 16 L-shaped jade-stone slabs hanging from a wooden frame, eight
in two rows. The sound differs according to the thickness of the
stone slabs. During the rule of King Sejong of Joseon, jade was
discovered in Namyang, Gyeonggi Province, and for the first time
the instrument was manufactured in Korea.
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