Traditional Korean musical instruments

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Buk, Korean traditional drum Korea-Buk-01.jpg
Buk , Korean traditional drum

Traditional Korean musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments.

Contents

String

Korean string instruments include those that are plucked, bowed, and struck. Most Korean string instruments use silk strings, except as noted.

Plucked

Zithers

Geomungo geomungo (Geomungo).jpg
Geomungo
Gayageum gaeryanggayageum singyeongceol (1967).jpg
Gayageum
  • Gayageum (가야금;伽倻琴) – A long zither with 12 strings; modern versions may have 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings
  • Geomungo (거문고) – A fretted bass zither with six to eleven silk strings that is plucked with a bamboo stick and played with a weight made out of cloth
    • Cheolhyeongeum (철현금;鐵絃琴) – A geomungo with 8 steel strings plucked with a bamboo stick and played with a slide made out of either glass or metal in the manner of a slide guitar, developed in the 20th century photo 1 photo 2
  • Daejaeng (대쟁;大筝) – A long zither with 15 strings, slightly larger than the gayageum; (basically a 15 String version of the Ajaeng but played w/ a Plectrum) it was used during the Goryeo period but is no longer used photo However it is being revived for song covers.
  • Seul (슬;瑟) – A long zither with 25 strings, derived from the Chinese se ; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music) photo
  • Geum (금;琴) – A 7-stringed zither, derived from the Chinese guqin ; also called chilheyongeum; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music) photo
  • Ongnyugeum (옥류금;玉流琴) – A large modernized box zither with 33 nylon-wrapped metal strings, developed in 1973; used only in North Korea (pronounced ongryugeum in North Korea) photo 1 photo 2 photo 3

Harps

  • Gonghu (공후;箜篌) – Harps (no longer used). There were four subtypes according to shape:
    • Sogonghu (소공후;小箜篌;lit. small harp) – harp with angled sound box, 13 strings, and a peg that is tucked into the player's belt
    • Sugonghu (수공후;豎箜篌;lit. vertical harp) – vertical harp without sound box and 21 strings photo
    • Wagonghu (와공후;臥箜篌;lit. lying down harp) – Arched harp with a large internal sound box and 13 strings, similar to Burmese saung gauk photo
    • Daegonghu (대공후;大箜篌) – large vertical harp with 23-strings

Lutes

Bipa Bipa (Korean musical instrument).jpg
Bipa
  • Bipa (비파;琵琶) – A pear-shaped lute with five strings (hyangbipa or jikgyeongbipa) or four strings (dangbipa). Uncommon today; most modern recreations are modelled on the Chinese pipa
  • Wolgeum (월금;月琴) – A lute with a moon-shaped wooden body, four strings, and 13 frets; no longer used
  • Eoeungeum (어은금) – A pear-shaped lute with five strings similar to hyangbipa; used only in North Korea

Bowed

Fiddles

  • Haegeum (해금;奚琴) – A vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from the ancient Chinese xiqin
  • Sohaegeum (소해금;小奚琴) – A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern violin; used only in North Korea
  • Junghaegeum (중해금;中奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern viola; used only in North Korea
  • Daehaegeum (대해금;大奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern cello; used only in North Korea
  • Jeohaegeum (저해금;低奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern double bass; used only in North Korea

Zithers

Ajaeng sanjoajaeng Sanjo ajaeng.jpg
Ajaeng
  • Ajaeng (아쟁;牙箏) – A zither bowed with a wooden stick, derived from the Chinese yazheng

Struck

Wind

Flutes

Transverse

  • Daegeum (대금;大笒) – A large transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes and an additional hole covered by a buzzing membrane
  • Junggeum (중금;中笒) – A medium-sized transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane; rarely used today
  • Sogeum (소금;小琴; 小笒) – A small transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane
  • Dangjeok (당적;唐笛) – A small transverse bamboo flute of Tang Chinese origin, slightly smaller than the junggeum
  • Ji (지;篪) – An ancient transverse bamboo flute with a protruding notched blowhole and five finger holes (one in the back and four in the front), derived from the Chinese chí. Used only in aak and Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)

End-blown

  • Danso (단소;短簫) – A small notched vertical bamboo flute with four finger-holes
  • Tungso (퉁소;洞簫) – A long notched vertical bamboo flute with five finger-holes; originally called tongso
  • Yak (약;籥) – A notched vertical bamboo flute with three finger-holes; used in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
  • Jeok (적;篴)
  • So (소;簫) – A pan flute; derived from the Chinese paixiao ; used only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music
  • Hun (훈;塤) – A globular flute made of baked clay originating from prehistoric times; end-blown like a shakuhachi, unlike an ocarina (which is a whistle design). Derived from the Chinese xun

Oboes

Free-reed

A player of the nabal Korea-Nabal-01s.jpg
A player of the nabal

Trumpets

Percussion

Drums

the buk Airman Buk.jpg
the buk
the Janggu Janggu.jpg
the Janggu

Gongs

Cymbals

Wooden instruments

Clay instruments

See also

References

    Listening

    Video

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