The gayageum, also called kayagum (Korean: 가야금; Hanja: 伽倻琴), is a traditional Korean musical instrument. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking its strings. Most gayageums have 12 strings, but some newer versions have 18, 21, or 25 strings. It is one of the most well-known traditional Korean musical instruments. The instrument was inspired by the Chinese guzheng and is similar to the Japanese koto, Mongolian yatga, Vietnamese đàn tranh, Sundanese kacapi, and Kazakh jetigen.

History

According to the Samguk sagi (1146), a history of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, the gayageum was created around the sixth century in the Gaya confederacy by King Gasil (also called Haji of Daegaya). He saw a Chinese instrument called the Guzheng and asked a musician named Wu Ruk to create music for the new instrument. The instrument was first called gayago (or gayatgo) and later renamed gayageum. Wu Ruk improved the gayageum during the reign of King Jinheung in the Silla dynasty. The ancient gayageum made by King Gasil had other names, such as beopgeum (law-zither), pungryu (elegance), or jeong-ak (right music) gayageum. It was often used to accompany court music, chamber music, and songs with lyrics. This type of gayageum has strings spaced farther apart and plays slower music, such as Yeongsan hoesang and Mit-doduri.

The sanjo gayageum is believed to have developed in the 19th century with the rise of sanjo music, which means "scattered melodies" in Korean. Sanjo music has fast tempos and some improvisation. The sanjo gayageum has strings spaced closer together and is shorter, making it easier to play the fast parts needed for sanjo. Today, the sanjo gayageum is the most common type. Traditional gayageum instruments used silk strings, but since the late 20th century, some musicians use nylon strings instead.

Modern gayageum instruments often have more strings and use nylon-wrapped steel strings, similar to those on the Chinese guzheng. Brass strings have also been added to make the sound louder, which is useful for music that accompanies dance. To play modern music, gayageum with more strings have been created, allowing the instrument to play a wider range of notes. Gayageum are available with 13, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings, and custom-made versions with even more strings exist. The 21-string gayageum is commonly found in North Korea.

• Types of gayageum
• Pungnyu gayageum
• Sanjo gayageum
• Improved gayageum

Playing method

The gayageum is traditionally played while sitting on the floor with legs crossed. The instrument’s head rests on the right knee, and the tail touches the floor. When played while seated on a chair or stool, the tail is usually placed on a special fold-out stand, similar to a camp-stool, or on another chair or stool. For modern gayageum, the instrument may be placed on a special stand, with the player seated on a chair behind the instrument. In North Korea, people typically play while sitting on a chair. However, they do not use a stand for the tail. Instead, the gayageum has detachable legs attached to the end to lift the tail high enough.

Both hands are used to play the gayageum. The right hand plucks and flicks the strings near the bridge of the instrument. The left hand pushes the strings on the left side of the bridge to raise the pitch and adds vibrato and other ornamentation.

In contemporary sheet music, these notations are placed above the staff. If not explicitly stated, the strings are typically struck using the index finger.

Tunings and modes

The gayageum can be adjusted to different pitches based on how it is used. However, there is no single standard for the exact pitches it should be tuned to. Examples of possible tunings include:

• E♭, F, A♭, B♭, E♭, F, A♭, B♭, C, E♭, F, A♭
• E♭, F, A♭, B♭, E♭, E♭, A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭, F, A♭
• E♭, A♭, B♭, E♭, F, A♭, B♭, C, E♭, F, A♭, B♭
• G, C, D, G, A, C, D, E, G, A, C, D

When written in staff notation, the pitch series is typically adjusted to the following, regardless of the actual pitches on the strings:

• D, G, A, D, E, G, A, B, D, E, G, A

This adjustment helps avoid switching between the bass and treble clefs, making the music easier to read.

Traditionally, three musical modes are used:

• 羽調 (우조): G key
• 平調 (평조): C key
• 界面調 (계면조): B♭ key

Construction

The beobgeum gayageum is 160 cm long, 30 cm wide, and 10 cm deep. It is made from a single piece of paulownia wood. A hollowed-out space inside the wood acts as the resonator chamber.

The sanjo gayageum is about 142 cm long, 23 cm wide, and 10 cm deep. Its soundboard is made of paulownia, but the sides and back are made of harder woods like chestnut or walnut.

On the soundboard, small, movable bridges called anjok hold the strings in place. These bridges can be moved to adjust the tuning and pitch. The strings pass through holes at the top of the instrument, which are connected to pegs called tolgwae beneath the body. At the other end, the strings wrap around loops at the end of thick cords. These cords go over the nut, loop through holes at the bottom of the instrument, and are tied together in a decorative coil.

The left hand presses the strings to change the pitch. It also moves fingers to create sounds like shaking, bending, or vibrating the strings. The right hand plucks or strums the strings. The gayageum produces a soft, delicate, and subtle sound. According to legend, King Gasil of the Kaya Kingdom created the instrument around the sixth century. Later, a musician named Ureuk improved it during the time of King Jinhung in the Silla dynasty.

Some evidence suggests the gayageum may be much older than the Silla dynasty. Recent archaeological discoveries in Kwangsan, Jeolla-namdo Province, found pieces of a gayageum from about the first century BCE.

The gayageum is used in many types of music, leading to different versions of the instrument, including:
– Pungryu gayageum: The original form, with widely spaced strings for slower music.
– Sanjo gayageum: A smaller, modern version with closely spaced strings for faster playing.
– Modern gayageum: Larger instruments with more strings to expand the range of pitches for contemporary music.

Music

Yŏngsanhŏesang ( 영산회상 ), Ch'ŏnnyŏnmanse ( 천년만세 ), Gagok ( 가곡 ). Pohŏsa ( 보허사 ), Yŏmillak .

The gayageum sanjo has six or more different styles, including the Seong Geum Yeon, Kim Juk Pa, Kim Yoon Deok, Kang Tae Hong, Kim Byeong Ho, and Choi Ok Sam styles.

Modern composers have written new music for the gayageum. Hwang Byung Ki created "Forest," the first modern gayageum piece. Sungcheon Lee developed a 21-string gayageum and wrote new compositions. Beomhoon Park composed a gayageum concerto called "New Sanjo" ( 새산조 ) for a 25-string gayageum. Later composers and Western musicians have also written modern music for the instrument.