Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 200

Characteristics of Korean Music
Leisurely tempo is one of the general characteristics of Korean music. A beat can last as long as
three seconds. The slow tempo imparts a distinctly calm, meditative character. The leisurely pace
is related to an emphasis on breathing: the tempo is set to a cycle of inhaling and exhaling.
Western music follows the heartbeat and tends to be active and progressive. Korean music
(especially in jeongak) tends to be sedate and contemplative like a long breath.
Jeongak (court music): intellectual, solemn, calm, dignified, and contemplative.
Ceremonial music (yeollye ak), ancestral shrine music (jongmyo jerye ak), Confucian shrine
music (munmyo jerye ak), and vocal music (gagok, gasa, sijo), orchestral music, military music,
dance music
Minsok ak (folk music): emotional, unrestrained, direct, and exhuberant
Vocal music: minyo, pansori
Instrumental music: sanjo, sinawi
Shaman music: samulnori, pungmul
Buddhist music (bumpae) – Buddhist chant
Korean music conveys a gentle, warm timber. It is so gentle that even the collision of tones and
melodies results in harmony. The subtle tone color can be attributed to the fact that Korean
instruments are made of natural materials, such as wood, bamboo, and silk.
Korean music normally begins with a slow tempo that gradually accelerates as the piece
progresses. This pattern reflects the emotional, non-rational character of the Korean people. The
gradually increasing tempo leads to self-absorption.
Yoseong – sustained tone and end of the tone it vibrates either one or two notes higher or
one or two notes lower
Tendency to pulling down or pulling up of main tone
Breaking tone
Half note high to lower the same note (A or E)
In sanjo or pansori music the main tone has strong vibrato and second (4 th up) has no
vibrato and third (5 th ) starts half a note higher
It imitates expressions of human feelings (crying, sadness, etc.)
Korean music scale is mainly pentatonic scale (D, E, G, A, B)
Basic rhythm tends to be triple rhythm compared to neighboring China and Japan that mainly
have double rhythm.
200
195