Traditional Korean musical instruments

File:Korea-Buk-01.jpg

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

Zithers

File:거문고 (Geomungo).jpg

Geomungo

File:개량가야금 신경철 (1967).jpg

Gayageum

• Gayageum (; Template:Category handler) – A long zither with 12 strings; modern versions may have 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings
• Geomungo (Template:Category handler) – 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 (; Template:Category handler) – 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 1photo 2}
• Daejaeng (; Template:Category handler) – 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 (; Template:Category handler) – A long zither with 25 strings, derived from the Chinese se; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)^photo
• Geum (; Template:Category handler) – A 7-stringed zither, derived from the Chinese guqin; also called chilheyongeum; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)^photo
• Ongnyugeum (; Template:Category handler) – 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 1photo 2photo 3}

Harps

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

Lutes

File:Bipa (Korean musical instrument).jpg

Bipa

• Bipa (; Template:Category handler) – 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 (; Template:Category handler) – A lute with a moon-shaped wooden body, four strings, and 13 frets; no longer used
• Eoeungeum (Template:Category handler) – A pear-shaped lute with five strings similar to hyangbipa; used only in North Korea

Bowed

Fiddles

• Haegeum (; Template:Category handler) – A vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from the ancient Chinese xiqin
• Sohaegeum (; Template:Category handler) – A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern violin; used only in North Korea
• Junghaegeum (; Template:Category handler) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern viola; used only in North Korea
• Daehaegeum (; Template:Category handler) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern cello; used only in North Korea
• Jeohaegeum (; Template:Category handler) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern double bass; used only in North Korea

Zithers

File:산조아쟁 Sanjo ajaeng.jpg

Ajaeng

• Ajaeng (; Template:Category handler) – A zither bowed with a wooden stick, derived from the Chinese yazheng

Struck

• Yanggeum (; Template:Category handler) – A hammered dulcimer with metal strings, struck with bamboo mallets; derived from the Chinese yangqin

Wind

Flutes

Transverse

• Daegeum (; Template:Category handler) – A large transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes and an additional hole covered by a buzzing membrane
• Junggeum (; Template:Category handler) – A medium-sized transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane; rarely used today
• Sogeum (; Template:Category handler) – A small transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane
• Dangjeok (; Template:Category handler) – A small transverse bamboo flute of Tang Chinese origin, slightly smaller than the junggeum
• Ji (; Template:Category handler) – 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 (; Template:Category handler) – A small notched vertical bamboo flute with four finger-holes
• Tungso (; Template:Category handler) – A long notched vertical bamboo flute with five finger-holes; originally called tongso
• Yak (; Template:Category handler) – A notched vertical bamboo flute with three finger-holes; used in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
• Jeok (; Template:Category handler)
• So (; Template:Category handler) – A pan flute; derived from the Chinese paixiao; used only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music
• Hun (; Template:Category handler) – 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

• Piri (Template:Category handler) – A cylindrical oboe with a bamboo body. There are four varieties of piri:
  • Hyang piri (; Template:Category handler)
  • Se piri (; Template:Category handler)
  • Dang piri (; Template:Category handler)
  • Dae piri (Template:Category handler) – A modernised instrument with clarinet-like keys, used only in North Korea
• Taepyeongso (태평소; 太平簫; also called hojeok, saenap or nallari) – A conical oboe with a wooden body and metal bell

Free-reed

• Saenghwang (; Template:Category handler) – A free-reed mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes, derived from the Chinese sheng; uncommon today

File:Korea-Nabal-01s.jpg

A player of the nabal

Trumpets

• Nabal (; Template:Category handler) – Long metal trumpet; used in daechwita
• Nagak (; Template:Category handler) – Sea shell horn, also called sora; used in daechwita

Percussion

• Jong (; Template:Category handler) – A bronze bell
• Pyeonjong (; Template:Category handler) – A set of 16 tuned bronze bells used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianzhong
• Teukgjong (; Template:Category handler) – A single large bronze bell
• Pyeongyeong (; Template:Category handler) – A set of 16 tuned stone chimes used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianqing
• Teukgyeong (; Template:Category handler) – A single large tuned stone chime
• Banghyang (; Template:Category handler) – A metallophone with 16 tuned iron slabs; derived from the Chinese fangxiang
• Ulla (; Template:Category handler) – A set of ten small tuned gongs in a wooden frame; derived from the Chinese yunluo

Drums

• Buk (Template:Category handler) – 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(Template:Category handler) – used in pungmul (Template:Category handler)
  • Sori-buk (Template:Category handler) – used to accompany pansori (Template:Category handler)

File:Airman Buk.jpg

the buk

• Janggu or Janggo (; Template:Category handler) – A double-headed hourglass-shaped drum generally played with one stick and one hand

File:Janggu.jpg

the Janggu

• Galgo (; Template:Category handler) – 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 [1]
• Jingo (; Template:Category handler) – Largest barrel drum
• Jeolgo (; Template:Category handler) – Barrel drum
• Jwago (; Template:Category handler) – A barrel drum in a wooden frame
• Geongo (; Template:Category handler) – Huge barrel drum
• Yonggo (; Template:Category handler) – A barrel drum with a dragon painted on its shell; used in daechwita
• Eunggo (; Template:Category handler) – Barrel drum suspended from a frame
• Sakgo – (; Template:Category handler) – A long barrel drum suspended from a wooden frame
• Gyobanggo (; Template:Category handler) – Flat drum suspended from a frame
• Junggo (; Template:Category handler) – Flat drum suspended from a frame; similar to the gyobanggo but larger
• Sogo (; Template:Category handler) – A small hand-held drum
• Nogo (; Template:Category handler) – A set of two drums pierced by a pole
• Nodo (; Template:Category handler) – A set of two small drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Yeongdo (영도; hanja:靈鼗) – Four drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Noedo (; Template:Category handler)) – six small drums hung in a frame; used in ritual music
• Noego (; Template:Category handler) – Three small barrel drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Do (Template:Category handler) – single pellet drum on a pole

Gongs

• Kkwaenggwari (Template:Category handler) – A small gong used primarily in folk music
• Jing (Template:Category handler) – A large gong; originally pronounced jeong (; Template:Category handler)

Cymbals

• Jabara (Template:Category handler; also called bara, bal, or jegeum) – pair of large brass cymbals, The name Zabara comes from Calpara.

Wooden instruments

• Bak (; Template:Category handler) – A wooden clapper; used in ancient court and ritual music
• Chuk (; Template:Category handler) – 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 (; Template:Category handler) – 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

Clay instruments

• Bu (; Template:Category handler) – A clay pot, derived from the Chinese fǒu; used in Munmyo jeryeak

See also

• Akhak Gwebeom
• Korean music
• String instruments

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