Traditional Korean Musical Instrument

[punuri]

Trends in Music

Korean traditional court music is slow and simple in tempo and rhythm in comparison with Western music. In an age that favors quickness and complexity in all fields, it naturally has experienced less popularity in Korea than Western music. Thus for a long time since the introduction of Western music, traditional music tended to be neglected, seldom appearing on radio, records, or theaters and concerts.

Recently however, a tendency has been growing among music lovers to give traditional music its rightful place in the life of the Korean people. Particular mention should be made of the work being done at the National Classical Music Institute (formerly the Prince Yi Conservatory), which used to provide music for the royal family of the Yi dynasty.

	Korean Music
	Traditional Korean Musical Instrument
	Woodwind instrument Percussion instrument Stringed instrument

This institute has been busy training Korean musicians in the task of notating, collecting and preserving a library and museum of Korea's traditional musical heritage. The institute now owns specimens of over sixty different kinds of traditional instruments. Following the fall of the Yi dynasty, most of the ancient traditional rituals and ceremonies were abolished. At the same time, traditional music began to be treated as a sort of useless relic to be preserved purely for the sake of being handed down to future generations. Since the war, many students of traditional music have had to abandon their studies. To remedy this regrettable state of affairs, the National Classical Music Institute and the authorities concerned have launched an intensive campaign for the propagation of traditional music and the training of new students. Their efforts have been highly successful in recent years. Radio stations and theaters have begun to include more traditional classics in their musical programs. Moreover, in 1955 a training center was established with the object of annually graduating an average class of 30 young men from a six years program of traditional music, thus laying a firm foundation for handing down a unique heritage to future generations.

Dang-ak and Hyang-ak (Court Music) Korean court music consists of two kinds, Dang-ak (Chinese court music invented during the Dang dynasty) and Hyang-ak (indigenous court music). The latter is believed to have been in existence since the 5th century, while Dang-ak was introduced into the country in the 8th century. Dang-ak was played during ceremonies and rites, and Hyang-ak usually accompanied dancing and other entertainment. The orchestra for Hyang-ak consists chiefly of conical oboes (which carry the principal melody), horizontal flutes, two-stringed fiddles and drums. In Dang-ak, bell chimes, stone chimes, and the mouth-organ are also used. Hyang-ak has a pentatonic tone system and a complicated rhythm while Dang-ak is pentatonic. Aak (Confucian Temple Music) This is one of the most ancient kinds of music now played in Korea. Originated in China, it underwent a large degree of Koreanization during King Sejong's reign. The Chinese text consists of eight lines of four syllables, and begins and ends on the same note. The orchestras, one sitting on the terrace and the other on the ground, play alternately. Chwita (Military Music) Military music such as the Chwita, was played in military processions and on such occasions as when gates to military headquarters were opened or closed. There were two kinds of military bands. One was louder and marched in front of an important person, such as a king. The other, the softer one, usually played following a procession escorting an important person. Conical oboes, brass trumpets, cymbals, gongs and drums were used in the front band; the rear one consisted of oboes, horizontal flutes, Janggu and Buk (drums). These bands were commonly called Gochwi. Jeong-ak (Classical Music) Jeong-ak music has long been a refined form of amusement for literati. Yongsan Hoesang, Originally S Buddhist song, was accompanied by dancing, but later dropped the text and became purely instrumental music. Without dancing, it was played with nine additional musical instruments. The instruments used in the music are the six-stringed zither, dulcimer, two- stringed fiddle, horizontal flute, conical oboe, and hour-glass drum . Sijo (Short Lyric Song) Sijo is almost similar to the Gagok in tone and text. Sanjo (Solo with Drum) Sanjo (solo music for twelve-stringed zither or horizontal flute) was played by a professional musician, accompanied by an hour-glass drum. It has three main sections: slow, moderate and fast. Gagok (Lyric Song) This is usually sung by professional singers, men or women, to the accompaniment of a six-stringed zither, a dulcimer, a small oboe, horizontal flute and an hour-glass drum. 4 complete performance consists of twenty-six pieces and lasts for many hours. Gasa (Song) Narrative songs such as the Chunmeon-gok, "Sleepy Spring," usually sung by a trained singer, were accompanied by a horizontal flute and an hour-glass drum. The rhythm usually consists of six beats and the tempo is generally slow. Changguk (Dramatic Song) A professional musician sings the dramatic song with a fan in his hands. Declamation, song, gesture and the accompaniment of a drum all comprise the performance. The long story that takes more than two hours to relate is supposed to make the audience weep and laugh. Minyo (Folk Song) In contrast to the folk songs of China and Japan, those in Korea are characterized by their triple meter and dotted rhythms. Phrases are clearly arranged according to a rule, usually four measures to a phrase. The texts of the Korean folk songs vary according to the localities in which they are sung. According to different musical dialects, Korea is divided into three parts: central, northern and southern. Nong-ak (Rural Band Music) This is the type of band music which is played by farmers to express their delight at completing transplantation or harvest of rice. As in other Korean folk songs, they are also characterized by compound triple meters, the band usually plays along village roads and in open grounds. It consists primarily of percussion instruments, but some times conical oboes are added.