Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 202

performed by touring bands of musicians. Although the traditional music of the aristocratic class
(court music) may still be well received, it is the music of the commoner that has experience a
revival and international recognition. In 1978, a musician named Kim Duk-soo started a
percussion troupe, Samulnori, that revived and internationalized the farmers’ bands of the past
and has contributed to the world’s appreciation of Korean musical traditions.
The samulnori form incorporates four percussion instruments: a small gong (kkwaenggwari), a
large gong (jing), a barrel drum (buk), and an hourglass-shaped drum (janggu). Koreans feel that
the jing and the kkwaenggwari are the sound from heaven and the janggu and buk are the sound
from the earth. One might say that when these instruments are played, humans are truly in
harmony with nature.
Kkwaenggwari (꽹과리)
The loudest Korean percussion instruments, the kkwaenggwari is a disc-like gong made of brass
that is 20 centimeters in diameter. These types of instruments are called sogeum when used in
royal ceremonial rituals, but similarly-shaped instruments featured in farmers’ or folk music are
known as kkwaenggwari. The kkwaenggwari is held with one hand and struck with a wooden
mallet and can be played using a variety of grips and techniques. For example, musicians can
control the length of each sound by placing their fingers on the gong at varying intervals to cut
off the gong’s sound.
Jing (징)
The jing is a large gong that is widely used in farmer, shaman, Buddhist, and military music. It is
made using high-quality brass. The jing used in farmers’ music is, on average, 37 centimeters to
38 centimeters in diameter; the one used in court music is slightly larger, while shamans use
slightly smaller ones. It is struck with a padded stick for a softer tone. In samulnori, the jing
serves to keep the beat. Depending on how hard it is struck, it either gives a gentle, lingering
sound or a big, magnificent sound with lots of reverberation.
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