The geomungo, also called hyeongeum, is a traditional Korean stringed instrument played by plucking. It has bridges and frets, which help guide the strings. The geomungo was created in Goguryeo before the 5th century. Experts think the name may refer to Goguryeo and mean "Goguryeo zither," or it may describe a color and mean "black crane zither" (현학금; 玄鶴琴; hyeonhakgeum).

In Korean culture, the geomungo was traditionally used by scholars to help them grow personally, similar to how ancient Chinese used the guqin. However, Koreans did not use the guqin as a common people's instrument. Instead, they completely took over the traditions related to the guqin from Confucian scholars and literati, applying them to their own geomungo traditions.

History

The geomungo was created around the 4th century (as seen in Anak Tomb No.3) and continued to be used through the 7th century in the kingdom of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. However, the instrument may have existed even earlier.

According to the 1145 historical text Samguk sagi, the geomungo was invented in the 6th century by Prime Minister Wang San-ak, who changed the design of the ancient Chinese instrument guqin (also called gogeum or chilhyeongeum, meaning "seven-string zither"). After Wang San-ak died, the instrument was passed to others, including Ok Bogo, Son Myeong-deuk, Gwi Geum, An Jang, Cheong Jang, and Geuk Jong, and became widely used across the kingdom.

The National Gugak Center of Korea suggests that the geomungo might have originally come from a traditional musical instrument of Goguryeo before the guqin was introduced. Some Japanese scholars believe the geomungo’s predecessor was the Wo Konghou, a Chinese instrument with a bridge and strings that was used in China since the Western Han Dynasty. Scholars from East Asia continue to discuss the instrument’s origins.

The earliest version of the geomungo is shown in paintings from Goguryeo tombs, including Muyongchong and Anak Tomb No.3.

Construction

The geomungo is approximately 162 cm long and 23 cm wide (63.75 inches long, 9 inches wide). It has movable bridges called anjok (雁足 "goose feet") and 16 frets called gwae (棵; numbered 1 to 16 from left to right). The instrument has a hollow body with a front plate made of paulownia wood and a back plate made of hard chestnut wood. Its six strings are made of twisted silk that pass through the back plate. The pick is made from bamboo sticks similar in size to a regular household pencil. Near the bridge is a leather-covered section called daemo, which protects the instrument’s surface from the striking of the suldae stick.

The six strings are named (from closest to the player outward) munhyeon (文弦 "civil string"), yuhyeon (遊弦 "roaming string"), daehyeon (大弦 "big string"), gwaesangcheong (棵上清 "clarity upon the frets"), gwaehacheong (棵下清 "clarity below the frets"), and muhyeon (武弦 "martial string"). They are numbered 1 to 6 in notation (or 文、方、大、上、中、下 in tablature form). Strings 2 to 4 go over fret 1 and are positioned above the frets, while strings 1, 5, and 6 are supported by the anjok bridges. Strings 2 and 3 are used to play stopped notes, and the rest are played open or as drones (even string 4, which is above the frets, though it is sometimes played stopped in some pieces). The thickness of the strings is not in order: usually, the thickest string is daehyeon, followed by munhyeon and muhyeon. The yuhyeon is usually the thinnest, followed by gwaesangcheong and gwaehacheong, though some instruments have gwaesangcheong as the thinnest, followed by yuhyeon.

Modernized versions of the geomungo now have 11 strings made of nylon. Like the traditional version, three strings are over the frets, and the others are open. The traditional geomungo has six strings, with three over the frets.

Recently, the six-string geomungo has been modified significantly, including the creation of electronic geomungo (전자 거문고). The instrument has also been played with a hwaldae bow (활대 거문고), similar to playing the ajaeng, and some versions have more strings. The Chinese wo konghou has seven strings, while the traditional geomungo only has six strings.

In the development of culture, besides artists who preserve traditional practices, there are also artists who adapt and modernize the nation’s cultural traditions.

Playing method

The geomungo is usually played while sitting on the floor. The strings are plucked using a small bamboo stick called a suldae, which is held between the index and middle fingers of the right hand. The left hand presses the strings (mainly the second and third strings) by pulling or pushing to create different pitches. The left-hand ring finger often wears a leather thimble called a golmu to help press the high strings firmly on the frets. The player can strike a leather protector called daemo with the stick during plucks to make rhythmic sounds.

The most common tuning for traditional Korean court music is (from the string closest to the player outward): Eb, Ab, Db, Bb, Bb, and a Bb one octave lower. For sanjo and folk music, the Eb string is raised to F, and sometimes all strings are tuned higher by a major second. The geomungo is used in traditional Korean court music and in folk styles like sanjo and sinawi.

Because of its strong, rhythmic sound and energetic playing style, the geomungo is often considered more associated with masculine music than the 12-string or 24-string gayageum (another Korean zither). However, both instruments are played by both men and women.

The geomungo can play a wide variety of songs and has many different musical styles.

Historically, the geomungo used a notation system similar to the guqin Chinese seven-stringed zither’s jianzipu system. This has been replaced by modern musical notation.

Jin Hi Kim, a Korean-born performer living in the United States, plays a custom electric geomungo in addition to the traditional instrument.

In the K-pop group Blackpink’s music video “Pink Venom,” the geomungo is played by Jisoo at the beginning of the video.