Traditional Korean musical instruments

Buk, Korean traditional drum

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

String

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

Plucked

• Gayageum (hangul: 가야금; hanja: 伽倻琴) – A long zither with 12 strings; modern versions may have 13, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings
• Geomungo (hangul: 거문고; hanja: 玄 – A fretted bass zither with six strings that is plucked with a bamboo stick
• Daejaeng (hangul: 대쟁; hanja: 大筝) – A long zither with 15 strings, slightly larger than the gayageum; it was used during the Goryeo period but is no longer used^photo
• Seul (hangul: 슬; hanja: 瑟) – A long zither with 25 strings, derived from the Chinese se; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)^photo
• Geum (hangul: 금; hanja: 琴) – A 7-stringed zither, derived from the Chinese guqin; also called chilheyongeum; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)^photo
• Gonghu (hangul: 공후; hanja: 箜篌) – Harps (no longer used). There were four subtypes according to shape:
  • Sogonghu (hangul: 소공후; hanja: 小箜篌; literally "small harp") – harp with angled sound box, 13 strings, and a peg that is tucked into the player's belt^photo
  • Sugonghu (hangul: 수공후; hanja: 豎箜篌; literally "vertical harp") – vertical harp without sound box and 21 strings^photo
  • Wagonghu (hangul: 와공후; hanja: 臥箜篌; literally "lying down harp") – Arched harp with a large internal sound box and 13 strings^photo
  • Daegonghu (hangul: 대공후; hanja: 大箜篌) – large vertical harp with 23-strings
• Bipa (hangul: 비파; hanja: 琵琶) – A pear-shaped lute with four or five strings (subtypes include the 5-stringed hyangbipa, which is also called jikgyeongbipa; and the 4-stringed dangbipa)
• Wolgeum (hangul: 월금; hanja: 月琴) – A lute with a moon-shaped wooden body, four strings, and 13 frets; no longer used
• Cheolhyeongeum (hangul: 철현금; hanja: 鐵絃琴) – A steel-stringed zither plucked with a stick and played with a slide in the manner of a slide guitar, developed in the 20th century^{photo 1photo 2}
• Ongnyugeum (hangul: 옥류금; hanja: 玉流琴) – A large modernized box zither with 33 nylon-wrapped metal strings, developed in North Korea in 1973; pronounced ongryugeum in North Korea^{photo 1photo 2photo 3}
• Oungum (hangul: 어은금) - A pear-shaped lute with five strings similar to hyangbipa; used only in North Korea^[1]

Bowed

• Haegeum (hangul: 해금; hanja: 奚琴) – A vertical fiddle with two strings
• Ajaeng (hangul: 아쟁; hanja: 牙箏) – A bowed zither, derived from the Chinese yazheng used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
• Sohaegeum (hangul: 소해금; hanja: 小奚琴) – A modernized fiddle with four strings; used only in North Korea^{photo 1photo 2}
• Junghaegeum (hangul: 중해금; hanja: 中奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to modern viola; used only in North Korea^[2]
• Daehaegeum (hangul: 대해금; hanja: 大奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to modern cello; used only in North Korea^[3]
• Jeohaegeum (hangul: 저해금; hanja: 低奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to modern double bass; used only in North Korea^[4]

Struck

• Yanggeum (hangul: 양금; hanja: 洋琴) – A hammered dulcimer with cotton strings, struck with a bamboo stick

Wind

Flutes

• Daegeum (hangul: 대금; hanja: 大琴 or 大笒) – A large transverse bamboo flute with buzzing membrane
• Junggeum (hangul: 중금; hanja: 中琴 or 中笒) – A medium-sized transverse bamboo flute without buzzing membrane
• Sogeum (hangul: 소금; hanja: 小琴 or 小笒) – A small transverse bamboo flute without buzzing membrane
• Danso (hangul: 단소; hanja: 短簫) – A small notched vertical bamboo flute
• Tungso (hangul: 퉁소; hanja: 洞簫) – A long notched vertical bamboo flute; originally called tongso
• Yak (hangul: 약; hanja: 籥) – A notched vertical bamboo flute with three finger holes; used in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
• Ji (hangul: 지; hanja: 篪) – An ancient vertical bamboo flute with a protruding notched blowhole and five finger holes (one in the back and four in the front), used only in aak; derived from the Chinese chí; used also in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
• Jeok (hangul: 적; hanja: 翟)
• So (hangul: 소; hanja: 簫) – A pan flute; derived from the Chinese paixiao; used only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
• Dangjeok (hangul: 당적; hanja: 唐笛) – A small transverse bamboo flute of Tang Chinese origin, slightly smaller than the junggeum
• Hun (hangul: 훈; hanja: 塤) – A globular flute made of baked clay originating from prehistoric times; end-blown like a shakuhachi making it not an ocarina (which is a whistle design)

Oboes

• Piri (hangul: 피리; hanja: 觱篥) – A cylindrical oboe with a bamboo body. There are four varieties of piri:
  • Hyang piri (hangul: 향피리; hanja: 鄕觱篥)
  • Se piri (hangul: 세피리; hanja: 細觱篥)
  • Dang piri (hangul: 당피리; hanja: 唐觱篥)
  • Dae piri (대피리)
• Taepyeongso (hangul: 태평소; hanja: 太平簫; also called hojok) – A conical oboe with a wooden body and metal bell
  • Jangsaenap (hangul: 장새납)

Mouth organs

• Saenghwang (hangul: 생황; hanja: 笙簧) – A free reed mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes; derived from the Chinese sheng
• U (hangul: 우; hanja: 竽) – A free reed mouth organ, large in size; derived from the Chinese yu; no longer used
• Hwa (hangul: 화; hanja: 和) – A free reed mouth organ with 13 bamboo pipes; derived from the Chinese he; no longer used

A player of the nabal

Horns

• Nabal (hangul: 나발; hanja: 喇叭) – Long metal trumpet
• Nagak (hangul: 나각; hanja: 螺角) – Sea shell horn; also called sora

Percussion

Chimes

• Jong (hangul: 종; hanja: 鐘) – A bronze bell
• Pyeonjong (hangul: 편종; hanja: 編鐘) – A set of 16 tuned bronze bells used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianzhong
• Teukjong (hangul: 특종; hanja: 特鐘) – A single large bronze bell
• Pyeongyeong (hangul: 편경; hanja: 編磬) – A set of 16 tuned stone chimes used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianqing
• Teukgyeong (hangul: 특경; hanja: 特磬) – A single large tuned stone chime
• Banghyang (hangul: 방향; hanja: 方響) – A metallophone with 16 tuned iron slabs; derived from the Chinese fangxiang^photo
• Ulla (hangul: 운라; hanja: 雲鑼 or 雲羅) – A set of ten small tuned gongs in a wooden frame; derived from the Chinese yunluo^photo

Drums

• Buk (hangul: 북) – A barrel drum used primarily in pansori, pungmul, and samulnori. The term buk is also used in Korean as a generic term to refer to any type of drum.
  • Pungmul-buk – used in pungmul
  • Sori-buk – used to accompany pansori
• Janggu or Janggo (hangul: 장구 or 장고; hanja: 杖鼓 or 長鼓) – A double-headed hourglass-shaped drum generally played with one stick and one hand
• Galgo (hangul: 갈고; hanja: 羯鼓) – Double-headed hourglass-shaped drum similar to the janggo but played with two sticks and thinner drum heads; sometimes called yanggo or yangjanggo; no longer commonly used
• Jingo (hangul: 진고; : 晉鼓) – Largest barrel drum
• Jeolgo (hangul: 절고; hanja: 節鼓) – Barrel drum
• Jwago (hangul: 좌고; hanja: 座鼓) – A barrel drum in a wooden frame
• Geongo (hangul: 건고; hanja: 建鼓) – Huge barrel drum
• Yonggo (hangul: 용고; hanja: 龍鼓) – A barrel drum with a dragon painted on its shell; used in daechwita
• Eunggo (hangul: 응고; hanja: 應鼓) – Barrel drum suspended from a frame
• Sakgo – (hangul: 삭고; hanja: 朔鼓) – A long barrel drum suspended from a wooden frame
• Gyobanggo (hangul: 교방고; hanja: 敎坊鼓) – Flat drum suspended from a frame
• Junggo (hangul: 중고; hanja: 中鼓) – Flat drum suspended from a frame; similar to the gyobanggo but larger
• Sogo (hangul: 소고; hanja: 小鼓) – A small hand-held drum
• Nogo (hangul: 노고; hanja: 路鼓) – A set of two drums pierced by a pole
• Nodo (hangul: 노도; hanja: 路鼗) – A set of two small drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Yeongdo (hangul: 영도; hanja:靈鼗) – Four drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Noedo (hangul: 뇌도; hanja: 雷鼗)) – six small drums hung in a frame; used in ritual music
• Noego (hangul: 뇌고; hanja: 雷鼓) – Three small barrel drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Do (도) – single pellet drum on a pole

Gongs

• Kkwaenggwari (hangul: 꽹과리) – A small gong used primarily in folk music
• Jing (hangul: 징; hanja: 鉦) – A large gong; originally pronounced jeong (정)

Cymbals

• Jabara (hangul: 자바라; also called bara, bal, or jegeum) – pair of large brass cymbals

Other

• Bak (hangul: 박; hanja: 拍) – A wooden clapper used in ancient court and ritual music
• Bu (hangul: 부; hanja: 缶) – A clay pot used in Confucian ritual music; derived from the Chinese fǒu
• Chuk (hangul: 축; hanja: 柷) – A wooden box, played by hitting a stick on the inside, used to mark beats or sections; derived from the Chinese zhù; used in ancient ritual music
• Eo (hangul: 어; hanja: 敔) – A wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a tiger with a serrated back, played by running a bamboo whisk across it to mark the ends of sections; derived from the Chinese yǔ

See also

• Akhak Gwebeom
• Korean music
• string instruments

References

1. http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/contents/photobook/Minsok/htm/96.htm
2. ko:중해금
3. ko:대해금
4. ko:저해금

External links

• Korean string instruments
• Korean bamboo wind instruments
• Korean drums
• Korean wind instruments
• Korean percussion instruments
• Korean string instruments
• North Korean instruments

Listening

• Korean instrument audio samples
• Korean music audio from Robert Garfias site

Video

• Korean instruments videos from Robert Garfias site