Alexandra S.

Arnaez
Gr. 8 STE 1
Korean Musical Instruments

Ajaeng



The Ajaeng has 7 strings with different thickness.

The Performer plays on it with a stick. The stick is made of a
peeled branch of forsythia painted with pine resin.

The Ajaeng produces a low sound.

Gayageum

The Gayageum has a dozen strings with different thickness.
The player places the Gayageum on his knee and plays or plucks with one hand while pressing the strings with the other hand.

The Gayageum produces a clear and graceful sound, used for solo performance or ensemble.








Yang-geum

Unlike other traditional Korean instruments which have silk strings, the Yang-geumis instrument has metal
strings.

On a paulownia base with a narrow top and broader base there are 72 copper strings mounted The strings
are divided in 18 groups. The Yang-geum produces 21 different notes.

The Yang-geum stick is used to produce sound.

The Yang-geum produces clear tones, it is used to make typical 'string' music.


Hae-geum
The Hae-geum is a very nice instrument. On top of a small trunk there is
a bamboo stick. On this stick there are two strings which are supported
and stuck to the trunk.

The bow is made from horse hair and bamboo. It is rubbed against the
string.
The two strings make different simple 'eastern' sounds.
Jang-gu
The Jang-gu is a drum. The left side is covered with cow skin and the right side with horse
skin. The trunk is made of paulownia.

The left side produces low tones, the right side high tones.

It it is a percussion instrument used in almost every Korean musical performance.



Jing
The Jing is a brass gong. A string is attached to the edge. The stick is wrapped to prevent scratching the
gong and to soften the sound.

It is used for ceremonical music.




Sogo

The Sogo is a small drum with a handle. In the past female dog skin was used for both sides of the
drum.

The Sogo is widely used by dancers, they carry the Sogo and play it while they dance.

notice: We sell Sogo's made without dog skin.

Chinese Musical Instruments
Chinese musical instruments can trace its history to several thousand years ago. Each of them produces a different and unique sound
and effect. These musical instruments not only entertain people but also play an important part in traditional Chinese culture. Now let
us have a look at 10 famous Chinese music instruments:
1. Erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle )
The Erhu (or Chinese violin) is a kind of two-stringed bowed musical instrument. Its history can be dated
back to Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago. Erhu can be used as a solo performance as well as in small
musical groups and large orchestras. It is one of the most popular bowed string instruments used by
many ethnic groups in China.
2. Guzheng (Chinese Zither)
The Guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It is made of 18-
23 or more strings and movable bridges. People believe
that it has been invented during the Warring States
Period (475-221 BC). The performer pluck the strings at
the right portion with right hand, and left hand presses the
string on the left side of the bridge to produce pitch
ornamentation and vibrato. The skilled player can create
sounds that can evoke the sense of waterfall, thunder,
and even the scenic countryside.

3. Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute)
The Dizi (or Bamboo Flute) is a Chinese style flute. Dizi is made of bamboo, the body has six finger-
holes, one blow-hole, and an extra hole between them covered by a thin membrane of reed. Dizi is a
classical Chinese musical instrument widely used many genres of Chinese music. It is also very popular
among the common Chinese people as it is easier to make and play than other music instruments.
4. Suona
The Suona, also called Laba, is double-reed woodwind
instrument. It can produce particularly loud and high-
pitched sound and is widely used in Chinese traditional
music ensembles especially in northern China. It is can be
played solo or many times together with Sheng, drums,
and other instruments in wedding and funeral ceremonies.


5. Big Drum

Big Drum is usually a stretched hide over a hollow vessel. Player use two bamboo or wood
sticks to beat the drum. From ancient to modern times, Big Drum has always been a folk
musical instrument liked by people around the country. It is widely used in the occasions
of celebration, military, entertainment and festival, etc.
6. Xiao
The Xiao is a Chinese vertical flute with blow-hole at
one end. Xiao is usually made of dark brown
bamboo and can produce graceful and mellow
sound suitable for both solo playing and chamber
music ensembles. It is believed that the earliest


Xiao was used by the Qiang people of Southwest China during the Han Dynasty (206B.C. -220A .D).



7. Hulusi

The Hulusi is a free reed wind solo instrument that is very popular among the Dai and the Yi
minorities in southwest Yunnan provinces. It is made of three bamboo pipes and a gourd
chest; the center pipe has finger holes and the outer two are drone pipes. Hulusi has very
pure, clarinet-like sound and is ideal for expressing soft and tender feelings.
8. Pipa (Chinese lute)
The Pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument. It has 16
frets and a pear-shaped wooden body. It is able to express various
emotions such as portraying battles and great tension or expressing
tones on sad songs or love ballads. Pipa has a long history in China
and is believed to have existed about two thousand years ago in
China.

9. Sheng
The Sheng is a mouth-blown free reed instrument. It is usually made of
17 bamboo pipes set in a small wind-chest. Its history can be traced
back to 1100 BC. This mouth-blown instrument has a delightful, lyrical
sound and it is traditionally played as an accompaniment to Suona or
Dizi.






10. Guqin
The Guqin is a plucked seven-string zither. It has a history of some
3000 years. In ancient China, it has been favored by scholars as an
instrument of elevating spirit. It is often regarded by the Chinese as
the father of Chinese music, however, only a small number of
people can play the instrument, because musical education of
Guqin has never really reached general public.

Japanese Musical Instruments
The music for our operetta is a fusion of traditional Japanese and European styles. GAGAKU is the ancient style of orchestral music
which was performed in the Imperial Court, the origins of which date back to the 5th or 6th century.
Aesthetically Gagaku, with its slow even tempos, is meant to be like the broad, majestic and graceful Yangtze river. In our concert we
are using Wagakki instruments which have been developed from Gagakki.
At the source of Japanese music are the Eight Sounds.

The Eight Sounds ()
Most instruments fit into one of the eight categories: silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide
although there are some which may not fit these classifications exactly
Biwa
The body of the instrument is made with rosewood, mulberry or Chinese quince for the rounded part of the
body (cherry and zelkova wood is also used) and chestnut for the face of the instrument. If the rounded part of
the body is made from one piece of wood it is called "hita ko" and if it is made from two or three pieces of
wood it is called "hagi ko." Hita ko instruments are considered to be the most valuable. There is a strip of
leather about 10 - 12 cm. wide across the lower part of the face of the instrument. This is struck with the
plectrum when the instrument is played. Often beautiful pictures are painted on this strip of leather. The upper
part of the body is called the "shishi kubi (deer neck)" and is made from hard imported wood or mulberry. The


top part is called the "kairobi (shrimp tail)" and is made of boxwood or sandalwood. The plectrum is made of boxwood and around
20cm long The four strings are made of silk.
San no Tsuzumi
The tsuzumi() is a Japanese drum. It consists of a wooden body shaped like an hourglass, and it is
taut, with two drum heads with cords that can be
squeezed or released to increase or decrease the tension of the heads respectively. This mechanism
allows the player to raise or lower the pitch of the drum while playing.
The tsuzumiis the only Japanese drum that is struck with the hands; all other drums are played with
sticks called bachi.The tsuzumiis played while being suspended over the shoulder by its cords. A single
drum head is struck with the tips of the fingers of one hand to produce a distinct "pon" sound, while the
other hand holds the drum by its cords, squeezing or releasing them to change the pitch of the drum.
Depending on how the player tightens or releases the cords of the tsuzumi, and how hard or soft one strikes the head with one's
hands, thetsuzumican produce a range of sounds.
Shou
Another very distinctive sound of Gagaku is the harmonica-like shou, which provides a kind of cloud of sound. The
shape of the instrument is supposed to suggest the mythical bird, the phoenix. The sound is said to express the
feeling of light shining from the heavens. The shou is used in instrumental music and dances of the left and usually
plays chords to provide harmony, a technique called "aitake (combined bamboo)." However, in Saibara and Roei a
technique called "ichichiku (single bamboo)" is used to play melodies.
Kakko
The kakko ( or ) is a Japanese double-headed drum. One way in which the
kakko differs from the regular taiko drum is in the way in which it is made taut. Like
the Shime-Daiko and tsuzumi, the skin of the heads are first stretched over metal
hoops before they are placed on the body, tying them to each other and tightening
them making them taut. Kakko drums are usually laid on their sides on stands so that
it can be played with sticks called bachi on both heads. Kakko drums have been used
in taiko ensembles, but they are also used in older Japanese court music called
gagaku.
Flutes
Ryuteki: The ryuteki, or dragon flute, is of Chinese origin and came to Japan via Korea during the
Nara Period (710-794). It was said that its tone was like the cry of the dragon. The ryuteki is used in
Gagaku dances. It is quite thick, has seven finger holes, a 2cm mouth hole and is around 40.2 cm
long.
Komabue: This flute is used in Komagaku, a type of music used for dances in Gagaku imperial court
music. It has six finger holes and is 36.8 cm long, very similar to the kagurabue, but much thinner.
Hichiriki: The hichiriki () is a double reed Japanese fue (flute) and was used as one of two main
melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryteki. The hichiriki is difficult
to play, due in part to its double reed configuration (similar to an oboe), however with its cylindrical
bore its sound is similar to that of a clarinet. Pitch and ornamentation (most notably bending tones)
are controlled largely with the embouchure. (the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to
the mouthpiece) The hichiriki is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often heard being played at
Shinto weddings in Japan, it is often said to have a haunting sound. The hichiriki is the most widely
used of all instruments in gagaku and it is used in almost all forms of music. It has seven finger holes on the front and two on the back
is 18 cm.long and 1.5 cm. in diameter and it is relatively elliptical.
Koto
The Koto is the national instrument of Japan. It is about 180 centimetres (71 in) long, and made from
kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). Koto generally have 13 strings, strung over 13 movable bridges
along the length of the instrument. The strings are traditionally made from silk although plastic strings
are becoming popular. The bridges (ji) used to be made of ivory, but nowadays are typically made of
plastic, and occasionally made of wood. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges
before playing. Koto-zume (zume means nail) are attached to the thumb, forefinger and middle finger
of right hand and used to pluck the strings. In Japanese literature the Koto is considered a romantic
instrument, providing imagery and music of 'extra significance'. The history of the koto, or 'so', in Japan, dates back to the 16th
Century when a Buddhist priest by the name of Kenjun (1547-1636) began to compose for the koto, calling the style tsukushi goto.
Perhaps the most important influence on the development of koto was Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614-1685), a gifted blind musician from
Kyoto who changed the limited selection of six songs to a brand new style of koto music which he called kumi uta. Yatsuhashi changed
the Tsukushi goto tunings, which were based on gagaku ways of tuning; and with this change, a
new style of koto was born. Yatsuhashi Kengyo is now known as the Father of Modern Koto. The
Koto is still developing as an instrument, and experimental music and jazz pieces are being written
for 20- and 25-stringed kotos and 17-string bass kotos.
Shamisen


The shamisen or samisen (, literally "three taste strings") is one of Japan's most popular classical musical instruments and can be
traced back to the middle of the sixteenth century. The three strings are traditionally made of silk, or, more recently, of nylon and, in
most genres, are plucked with a large weighted plectrum called a bachi made of ivory or tortoise shell in the shape of a ginkgo leaf.
The lowest string is kept off the small upper bridge near the pegbox so that it generates a buzzing sound, creating a characteristic
known as sawari (This is a little like the "buzzing" of a sitar). The shamisen is similar in length to a guitar, but its neck is much slimmer
and without frets. The body is made of four boards of Chinese quince or oak and its neck is from red sandalwood or Indian redwood.
Its drum-like rounded rectangular body, known as a d, is covered with skin, similar to the banjo, and amplifies the sound of the
strings. The skin is usually from a dog or cat, but in the past a special type of paper was used. The instrument is tuned using three
tuning pegs on the head, similar to a guitar and there are three basic tuning settings depending on the style of music played. Shamisen
are used in many musical genres including folk music, in narrative and lyrical styles and in musical theater.
Taiko
Japanese Taiko drums have been developed into a wide range of percussion instruments that
are used in both Japanese folk and classical musical traditions. Taiko, in general, are stick
percussion instruments. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed
resonating cavity. With the exception of the kotsuzumi and ootsuzumi, all taiko are struck with
bachi. The sound produced by the Taiko has a relatively high pitch for its body size due to the
very high tension applied to the drum heads Taiko are categorized by their type of construction.
Tsukushime-daiko () have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each
other around the drum body. Byou-uchi daiko () taiko have heads nailed to the body
and are generally hollowed out of a single piece of wood. With its high density and beautiful
grain, keyaki () is the prefered wood but other woods are sometimes used. This type of Taiko cannot be tuned, and their sizes are
limited by the diameter of the tree they are made from. The Byou-uchi daiko is a family of drums from the small sumo-daiko and
hayashi-daiko, through the medium size nakado-daiko (upto 3' in diameter) to the daiko ( great drum) which is greater than
3' in diameter
Schakuhachi
The shakuhachi is a range of five finger hole flutes varying in length from 40cm to 1m. They are usually made
from the root end of a bamboo culm and are extremely versatile instruments. The shakuhachi player blows as
one would blow across the top of an empty bottle (the shakuhachi has a sharp edge to blow against) and has
substantial pitch control. The five finger holes are tuned to a pentatonic scale with no half-tones, but the player
can bend each pitch as much as a whole tone or more, using techniques called meri and kari, in which the
blowing angle is adjusted to bend the pitch downward and upward, respectively. Holes can be covered partially
(1/3 covered, 1/2, 2/3, etc.) and pitch varied subtly or substantially by changing the blowing angle.
Professional players can produce virtually any pitch they wish from the instrument, and play a wide repertoire
of original Zen music, ensemble music with koto, biwa and shamisen, folk music, jazz, and other modern
pieces. Much of the shakuhachi's subtlety (and player's skill) lies in its rich tone colouring. Different playing
techniques can produce notes of the same pitch, but with subtle or dramatic differences in the tone colouring.
During the medieval period, shakuhachi were used by the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known as komus
("priests of nothingness," or "emptiness monks"), who used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs
(called "honkyoku") were paced according to the players' breathing and were considered meditation (suizen) as much as music.
Shakubyoshi
The Shakubyoshi is a percussion instrument. The paddles are made of
wood, in pairs, about 26cm long and finely decorated. The flat side of
one of the paddles is struck with the edge of the other paddle in a steady
rhythm to set the timing for the piece of music.