An Introduction to Korean Traditional Instruments: Haegeum, Gayageum, and Janggu

This summer, I participated in the 2013 Summer Korean Traditional Instrument Workshop at the Korean Performing Arts Center. We even have pictures online thanks to photographer Dami Choi and the workshop was featured on a local Korean TV channel, but I was not included in the video since the TV crew filmed the day time class and I was part of the evening class. Actually, I took lots of pictures and videos, but I accidentally deleted all the files on my phone. The pictures you see here were recovered from my phone, but the videos are sadly, all gone. If I ever have a chance to retake the class, I will be sure to show you some videos.

The five-day workshop ends with a recital and a certificate of program completion. Children and adults with a maximum of twenty people attended each workshop. The program is free, but I paid $25 in cash for a music instrument rental fee.

The Korean Performing Arts Center aims to inform and disseminate Korean traditional culture and arts into mainstream America. I hope they are able to expand this program to more people in the future. I had a great time in their classes.

The three instruments we were exposed to were the 해금 haegeum, 가야금 gayageum, and 장구 janggu. I will explain each instrument with the easiest to play first and the hardest to play last.

장구 Janggu (Korean traditional drum)

Janggu is the easiest instrument to play. Janggu is a double-headed, hourglass-shaped drum that is covered in leather on both sides. For class, one side has a cotton cloth cover over it. Perhaps the cover is put there to muffle the sound since the Janggu can sound quite loud.

Your dominant hand should hold the bamboo stick, known as the 열채 yeolchae, which in my case, is the right hand. All fingers should wrap around the bamboo stick nicely. The bamboo stick should always be held and played at a forty-five degree angle upwards at all times.

The other hand would hold the wooden mallet, known as the 궁채 gungchae. The mallet is made from the root of a bamboo tree. There is a specific way to hold the mallet. Holding the mallet in a downward vertical direction, the thumb, index, middle, and third finger naturally wrap around the mallet handle. The pinky, however is curled up by itself and set next to the wooden mallet for support. I guess doing so would give us a better grip.

The correct posture for playing the janggu is to sit up straight on the floor with the legs in diamond shape. The right foot holds the outer right side of the drum in place while the left foot holds the inner right side of the drum in place. The right side of the drum should align with the player’s body. Personally, this sitting position is painful for me since I am not used to sitting on the floor. I recommend sitting on the floor in janggu position for short periods of time each day until you are used to it.

We learned two rhythms: 이채가락 Echa Garak (“Two Rhythms” or literally, “Two-Stick Tune”) and 오방진 가락 동살푸리 장단 Ohbangjin Dongsalpuri Jangdan (“Rhythm” or “Ohbangjin Tune Dongsalpuri Rhythm”)

In Janggu, there are different types of striking techniques. This list only includes what I was exposed to during class and does not include all possible techniques:

덩 Deong = striking 궁채 gungchae and 열채 yeolchae together (strong force)

더 The/Tta = striking 궁채 gungchae and열채 yeolchae together (weaker force)

쿵 Kung/Gung = striking 궁채 gungchae only (could be on the left or right side of the janggu)

When transitioning to the right side of the janggu, the 궁채 gungchae should go around the front of the drum instead of above the drum, unless specifically directed otherwise.

따 TTa/TTak = striking 열채 yeolchae only towards the edge of the drum (strong force)

Sometimes, when playing a 따 Tta/Ttak rhythm, the left hand is free to do other dance-like movements

다 Da/Gi = striking 열채 yeolchae at the center of the drum (weaker force)

라 Ra/Da/reu/rrr = Rolling the 열채 yeolchae (advanced technique)

When playing janggu in a group, a male musician or the male musicians usually shout out cues for the entire group. When bowing while sitting at the end of the performance, the hands holding the 궁채 gungchae and 열채 yeolchae face each other just like in a real Korean bow and the head is lowered at the same time. 

When standing or walking with the janggu, the janggu is always held by the middle hour-glass part so that the janggu does not easily fall or break.

The janggu is a lot of fun and a great stress reliever. I’m thinking about buying a janggu one day so I can bang on it to my heart’s content. I would like to thank my teachers Songhee Lee and Sue Yeon Park for their expertise and instruction.

가야금 Gayageum (Korean 12-stringed Zither)

The gayageum was invented by King Gasil of the Gaya kingdom in the land of Korea around the 6^th century. The gayageum is similar to the Chinese guzheng. There is also a story of how King Gasil supposedly modified an old Chinese instrument in order to create the gayageum. The gayageum is perhaps the most well-known Korean instrument. Other types of gayageums can have 13, 17, 18, 21, 22 and 25 strings, which are usually used for modern music.

I consider the gayageum having a medium level of difficulty when compared to the janggo and the haegeum because there are many strings. Other students complain that plucking the strings for a while hurts their fingers, but I have no problem with it at all.

There are many types of gayageum. In class, we play the sanjo gayageum, which is a gayageum specifically used to play sanjo music. The word sanjo literally means “scattered melodies.” The space between the strings is narrower in order to play notes faster. The sanjo gayageum is also shorter than a regular gayageum. Honestly, the sanjo gayageum is big enough for me as a beginner. The sanjo gayageum is also the most widely-used gayageum.

There is a specific way to hold the gayageum while standing. There is a central hole in the back of the gayageum to amplify sound and to hold the instrument while traveling.

When sitting, the musician should sit cross-legged except with the right leg in front of the left leg. 

The gayageum should cover the entire right knee completely and the wedge underneath the gayageum should rest right next to the right knee. The rest of the gayageum should be touching the left knee.

Some major parts of the gayageum include:

현짐 Hyeonchim – A bar that supports the end-part of the strings.

줄 Jul – A gayageum string, which is traditionally made out of silk threads. Modern gayageums can have nylon strings, nylon-wrapped steel strings, and brass strings (which produce louder sounds suitable for dance music accompaniment)

아족 An-Jok – Fret, which is movable. Koreans call it the “friend’s fool” and the fret also looks like a crane. The end frets should fit nicely next to the edge of the gayageum.

부들 – Budeul – Tightener: The part of the Gayageum on the left end that holds the strings tight.

돌괘 – Dolgwae – Pegs that hold the string together.

학슬 – White string (maybe to buffer the strings?)

When playing the gayageum, the right hand always rests on the board next to the 현짐 hyeonchim. The right hand assumes an “OK” sign position. The thumb doesn’t actually touch the string, but the plucking is done with the index finger. The other fingers are always resting on the strings above the index finger. After plucking, the hand opens out with the palm facing up. Doing so prolongs the sound and lets it resonate. There is also another technique called flicking, but that is for advanced students. In flicking, the front of the index finger is used to play the string. I guess advance students will also learn how to use other fingers besides the index to play the gayageum.

The left hand is used to temporarily change the pitch of the string when needed. The left index and middle finger are an index finger to the thumb space away from the left side of the 아족 an-jok at all times when playing the gayageum. When needed, the left index and middle finger pushes the string down while the string is plucked with the right hand. To add an extra vibrato, I push the string down with my left hand more than once while the sound is still resonating.

The strings are set in the following tuning order from the lowest pitch furthest away from the musician to the highest pitch, which is the closest string to the musician: GCDGACDEGACD.

We learned the “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” song and the Korean folk song, “Arirang.” I want to give special thanks to my teacher, Youngeun Kim (Miss Kim) for having the patience to teach us and to give us a mini-performance of her skills on the gayageum. Miss Kim also teaches the gayageum in public schools in hopes to spread gayageum music and Korean culture to as many students as possible.

해금 Haegeum (Korean traditional two-string fiddle)

Haegeum is a two-string fiddle that originated from China and introduced to Korea during the Koryeo dynasty. I am not sure if there are any obvious differences between the Korean haegeum and the Chinese erhu. Out of the three instruments, I label the haegeum as the most difficult to play.

When playing the haegum, the musician is sitting on the floor in a half-lotus position, with the right leg over the left leg and the left leg underneath the right leg. I recommend practice sitting on the floor for those who aren’t used to it because my legs went numb and sitting on the floor became painful. The bottom part of the right foot serves as the haegeum support. A cloth is placed over the right foot, which is resting on the left knee. The base of the haegum naturally rests vertically on top of the right foot. The haegeum strings should be on the right side of the haegeum. 

The left hand rests on the neck of the haegeum and the fingers wrap around the haegeum neck and the strings. The haegeum does not have a finger board so playing the haegeum requires ear training.

Do not do what I did and remove the bow from the haegeum. The bow is attached to the haegum at all times. There are two strings: 중현, the inner, thicker string and 유현, the outer, thinner string. The strings are made of silk and the bow is made out of horse hair just like a violin bow except the haegeum bow is much thicker. The haegeum itself is made out of bamboo.

Holding the 활대 bow is similar to holding a chopstick except the index finger is on the side instead of on top of the bow. The ring and pinky finger stretches the bottom leather part of the bow to expand the bow for a strong sound. If the bow is pressed strongly against the string, it makes a scratchy sound. If it is lightly pressed again the string, it could possibly make a harmonic (high and delicate) sound. There are so many ways techniques to make different sounds and to imitate other sounds such as birds and other animals.

Since the bow is located between the two strings, you only need to move your arm slightly to switch from playing one string or the other. The strings are a perfect fifth apart in tone. I don’t know how to tune my haegeum so I’m not sure how to adjust the strings. When using the bow, the bow rests at the bottom of the haegeum even while playing so there is no pressure to keep the bow at a certain level.

When playing notes that require the left hand, the left fingers have to curve around the string at the first, top joint. To play the note, the finger squeezes the string and pulls it back. If the finger squeezes and pulls the string too much, it will alter the sound to a higher note. When the fingers are not in use, the fingers are always in front of the haegeum at all times and not curved at the sides as many amateurs tend to do. After a while, I have painful finger joint pains. I wish the haegeum was like the violin where we use the pads of our fingers to press the strings down instead of our joints. I find it very painful. Musicians with prior string instrumental experience will have no problem adjusting to the haegeum.

In class, we learned the “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” song and the Korean folk song, “Arirang.”

Thanks to Heejung Han, our haegeum teacher for teaching us how to play the haegeum.

After the workshop and mini-performance, all students were presented with a certificate. I felt as though I accomplished something really significant. I feel honored and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to participate in such a great program. It was well worth my time. For those people who are interested in attending future workshops or are thinking about taking Korean instrumental lessons, I recommend getting used to sitting on the floor first. I couldn’t walk that week, but the pain was worth it.