For my cultural artifact, I was interested in finding something related to Korean traditional music. What I found was this instrument called Gayageum, which is known as the national instrument of the country. Gayageum is made out of Paulownia wood in a rectangular shape and typically has 12 strings. To be able to play this instrument, the Gayageum is laid with one side on the ground with the performer seated holding up the other side on their right knee. Usually in performances, the Gayageum instrument would be accompanied by the rhythmic beats of a changgo drum. The performers also wear traditional clothes while playing.
Some brief history of the Gayageum was that it was created by the korean king Gasil around the sixth century. This instrument was modeled after the Chinese zheng, another popular instrument. But unlike zheng which is known for its dragon symbolism, the Gayageum is more modeled after the birds. “The gayageum’s bridges are called anjok (wild goose feet), and its bottom end is likened to the tail feathers of a phoenix,” (KOCIS Center). At the beginning, the Gayageum was usually only played for the court during the Joseon era. But later on, the Gayageum music had shifted into including sanjo. Sanjo is used for folk music which was associated more with the lower class. The other styles are called Pungnu Gayageum which is used for classical music and the other is called Improved Gayageum which is used for modern compositions. Aside from the typical 12 strings, there have recently been Gayageums with 15, 17, 18, and even 25 strings.
While researching more about this instrument, I came across this youtube video titled "Gayageum Sanjo Ensemble," which featured six musicians playing the Gayageum. Alongside them, a single played the changgo drum, which helped add more rhythm to the melody. These people were playing the instrument in a very fast paced rhythm called Hwimori. After researching more about this style, I found out that Gayageum Sanjo is typically a duet with only one person playing the gayageum and another on the drums.
While watching the video, I was surprised to see just how fast their hand movements were. I really enjoyed the sound that was produced and how the drum acted similarly to the beat. It was interesting to hear this type of sound since it is something that I am not used to compared to my own two cultures. While watching the performance, what I observed was that one hand would be pushing the string which helps make the sound in a vibrato while the other would be plucking for the notes.
Also, in some live performances, there would be noises made by some of the audience members, which startled me. At first, I thought it was by accident until I kept on hearing it constantly throughout the show. I did not realize that it was something the audience would do to show their appreciation to the stage performers. I thought it was really interesting since it was different to how I was used to when watching traditional performances.
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