Traditional Korean musical instruments

String

Plucked

Zithers

• Gayageum – A long zither with 12 strings; modern versions may have 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings
• Geomungo – 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 – 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
• Daejaeng – A long zither with 15 strings, slightly larger than the gayageum; it was used during the Goryeo period but is no longer used
• Seul – A long zither with 25 strings, derived from the Chinese se; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak
• Geum – A 7-stringed zither, derived from the Chinese guqin; also called chilheyongeum; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak
• Ongnyugeum – A large modernized box zither with 33 nylon-wrapped metal strings, developed in 1973; used only in North Korea

  Harps

• Gonghu – Harps. There were four subtypes according to shape:
• * Sogonghu – harp with angled sound box, 13 strings, and a peg that is tucked into the player's belt
• * Sugonghu – vertical harp without sound box and 21 strings
• * Wagonghu – Arched harp with a large internal sound box and 13 strings, similar to Burmese saung gauk
• * Daegonghu – large vertical harp with 23-strings

  Lutes

• Bipa – A pear-shaped lute with five strings or four strings . Uncommon today; most modern recreations are modelled on the Chinese pipa
• Wolgeum – A lute with a moon-shaped wooden body, four strings, and 13 frets; no longer used
• Oungum – A pear-shaped lute with five strings similar to hyangbipa''; used only in North Korea

  Bowed

Fiddles

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

  Zithers

• Ajaeng – A zither bowed with a wooden stick, derived from the Chinese yazheng

  Struck

• Yanggeum – A hammered dulcimer with metal strings, struck with bamboo mallets; derived from the Chinese yangqin

  Wind

Flutes

Transverse

• Daegeum – A large transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes and an additional hole covered by a buzzing membrane
• Junggeum – A medium-sized transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane; rarely used today
• Sogeum – A small transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane
• Dangjeok – A small transverse bamboo flute of Tang Chinese origin, slightly smaller than the junggeum
• Ji – An ancient transverse bamboo flute with a protruding notched blowhole and five finger holes, derived from the Chinese chí. Used only in aak and Munmyo jeryeak

  End-blown

• Danso – A small notched vertical bamboo flute with four finger-holes
• Tungso – A long notched vertical bamboo flute with five finger-holes; originally called tongso
• Jangso - A longer notched vertical bamboo flute with five finger-holes
• Yak – A notched vertical bamboo flute with three finger-holes; used in Munmyo jeryeak
• Jeok
• So – A pan flute; derived from the Chinese paixiao; used only in Munmyo jeryeak – A globular flute made of baked clay originating from prehistoric times; end-blown like a shakuhachi, unlike an ocarina. Derived from the Chinese xun

  Oboes

• Piri – A cylindrical oboe with a bamboo body. There are four varieties of piri:
• *Hyang piri
• *Se piri
• *Dang piri
• *Dae piri – A modernised instrument with clarinet-like keys, used only in North Korea
• Taepyeongso – A conical oboe with a wooden body and metal bell

  Free-reed

• Saenghwang – A free-reed mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes, derived from the Chinese sheng; uncommon today
• Ungul – A large mouth-organ, derived from the Chinese yu; no longer used
• Hwa – A mouth organ with 13 bamboo pipes, derived from the Chinese he; no longer used

Trumpets

• Nabal – Long metal trumpet; used in daechwita
• Nagak – Sea shell horn, also called sora; used in daechwita

  Percussion

Chimes

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

  Drums

• Buk – 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 – A double-headed hourglass-shaped drum generally played with one stick and one hand
• Galgo – 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 – Largest barrel drum
• Jeolgo – Barrel drum
• Jwago – A barrel drum in a wooden frame
• Geongo – Huge barrel drum
• Yonggo – A barrel drum with a dragon painted on its shell; used in daechwita
• Eunggo – Barrel drum suspended from a frame
• Sakgo – – A long barrel drum suspended from a wooden frame
• Gyobanggo – Flat drum suspended from a frame
• Junggo – Flat drum suspended from a frame; similar to the gyobanggo but larger
• Sogo – A small hand-held drum
• Nogo – A set of two drums pierced by a pole
• Nodo – A set of two small drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Yeongdo – Four drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Noedo ) – six small drums hung in a frame; used in ritual music
• Noego – Three small barrel drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Do – single pellet drum on a pole

  Gongs

• Kkwaenggwari – A small gong used primarily in folk music
• Jing – A large gong; originally pronounced jeong

  Cymbals

• Jabara – pair of large brass cymbals, The name Zabara comes from Calpara.

  Wooden Instruments

• Bak – A wooden clapper; used in ancient court and ritual music
• Bu – A clay pot, derived from the Chinese fǒu; used in Munmyo jereak
• Chuk – 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 – 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
• Guhyeon – a jaw harp derived from the Chinese kouxian.

  Listening

• from Robert Garfias site

  Video

• from Robert Garfias site