By Marthe Hilde

Korean folk
instruments
According to Wikipedia:
“The first evidence of Korean music
appeared in the extant text of Samguk sagi
(History of the three kingdoms) in 1145, which
described two string instruments; Kayagum
and Komun'go.”

In this article I will write about some

Korean folk instruments, what they are made of
as well as some examples of use in folk music
and more modern ways through popular music.
I will present some examples which you can
listen to as well.

I have always been interested in Korean culture

and have a love and fascination for Korean folk
music and instruments, so I hope that this
article can allow you to dive deeper into Korean folk music as well.

In Korean folk instruments as in many other instruments, we can categorize them in three
groups: String instruments, wind instruments and percussion.

Let’s learn about one of the string instruments first.

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String instruments
Some Korean string instruments are the Gayageum (가야금), Geomungo (
거문고), Haegeum (해금), Ajaeng(아쟁) and Yanggeum (양금). I will write some about
the Gayageum, which is the most known string instrument among these.

The Gayageum

A personal favorite,
the Gayageum(가야금) is
a string instrument that
consists of a Korean
board zither, where
historically, the name
«Zither» applies to “an
instrument consisting of
many strings stretched
across a flat body”.
The Gayageum consists of 12 strings made of silk and 12 movable bridges that can adjust the
tune. It is crafted from paulownia wood, and with the shape of a rectangle it is about 160 cm long
and 30 cm wide. The Gayageum is played in many vocal and instrumental genres, often
accompanied by the Janggu drum.

Listening example:Gayageum Sanjo(가야금 산조) Solo

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Percussion
Some instruments in the percussion category are Bak (박), Buk (북) Janggu (
장구), Jwago (좌고), Pyeonjong (편종), Pyeongyeong (편경) and Kkwaenggwari (
꽹과리). The Korean percussion instruments are made of different materials like stone, metal,
animal leather/skin, wood and bamboo. Some of the instruments produce pitches and melodic
percussion, while some have no pitches at all.

The Janggu drum

The Janggu(장구) is a drum shaped like an

hourglass. It is made of animal skin and has a body made
of wood. When this instrument is used in folk music, you
play using two sticks and accompany the traditional
Janggu dance. It’s also possible to play with your hands
as well, depending on the setting. With a wide surface on
the drum, you can vary in different sounds based on
where you hit your sticks. It can be played both standing
and sitting.
Here is a picture of me standing with a Janggu player.

Listening example: Janggu, a Korean drum performance |

Kim So Ra | TEDxUbud

Wind instruments

Most wind instruments from Korea are made of bamboo, but there are also
cheaper versions made of plastic available(usually for beginners!). The instruments vary
depending on the direction it’s played in and posture of the player. Some wind
instruments are the Piri (피리), Taepyeongso (태평소) and Danso (단소) which are held
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vertically(like how you would play a saxophone), and the Daegum (대금) and Sogeum
(소금) are held horizontally while playing.

The Daegeum

The Daegeum is one of the flutes that

are held horizontally while playing. In
the picture, you can see me trying to
play the Daegeum. A video will also
be linked below.

The Daegeum I tried is made of

plastic, so it looks a bit different in its
finish compared to one made of
bamboo. Playing this instrument is
hard, as it requires a good flow control
of your breath as well as maintaining a
balanced sound in your instrument.
The Daegeum is made up of a mouthpiece with a closed end and a membrane hole. This creates
the unique sound that the Daegeum is known for.

Listening example: Korean traditional music - Daegeum

Me and my friend learning about the Daegeum: 노르웨이 소녀들의 대금 첫경험 by
홍석영 대금 연주자 (이누야샤-시대를 초월한 마음) [나우인코리아]
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Korean folk instruments and modern music

As the rise of K-POP and the Hallyu wave has entered the western world, Korean folk
music has not been getting that much attention. However, Korean folk instruments are
intemplated to K-POP songs as the main instrument, playing a memorable and catchy tune that is
hard to forget. And some of those instruments include the Gayageum, the Janggu and the wind
instrument Taepyeongso.

The Taepyeongso can for example often be heard in historical K-Dramas during the
presentation of royalty, in a genre known as daechwita and Agust D’s “Daechwita.”

Listen to August D’s “Daechwita”: Agust D '대취타' MV

BTS’s “IDOL” also includes Korean instruments such as the kkwaenggwari and janggu,
and the group makes use of the phrase “eolssu (얼쑤)” an exclamation of encouragement that is
traditionally used in pansori (musical storytelling with a singer and a drummer).

Listen to BTS’s “IDOL”: BTS (방탄소년단) 'IDOL' Official MV

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The sound of the

Gayageum is also well
known to many, but is often
confused with other string
instruments like the violin.
Still, the instrument is used
in many modern K-POP
songs like TVXQ’s -
“Maximum”, Hong
Jinyoung’s - “Thumb Up”
and again Agust D’s -
“Daechwita” and in
numerous covers of modern
pop songs that can be found
online.

Here is an example of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” performed on a Gayageum: AC/DC -

Thunderstruck Gayageum 가야금 ver. by Luna 루나

Another example from a

Korean Jazz-band, in
Oriental Express’s
“Jumping without moving”
using the Gayageum and
Haegeum instruments along
with modern electric
instruments:

Jumping without moving by

Oriental Express, Korea
No.1 Jazz Band

I hope to see more of Korean folk music and instruments in modern music, so that Korea’s folk
music can be put on an international stage as well.

Sources for pictures and information I found for this article:

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- Woman playing Gayageum:

가야금 - Wiktionary
- Haegeum Evolution: Various Approaches to Korean Music - The UCLA Herb
Alpert School of Music
- Front page gayageum Pin on Places
- Kpop songs that uses the gayageum in its instrumental : r/kpophelp
- Music of Korea - Wikipedia
- Taepyeongso picture:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Korea-Taepyeongso-
01.jpg
- Janggu picture: 사물놀이 40 주년 기념 김덕수 사물놀이패 초청 공연 성황리
개최
- Pansori: Pansori - Wikipedia
- https://artsandculture.google.com/story/QQXBWFVCGDVvKQ?hl=en
- Me and a friend learning about the Daegeum: 노르웨이 소녀들의 대금 첫경험
by 홍석영 대금 연주자 (이누야샤-시대를 초월한 마음) [나우인코리아]