Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 203

Janggu (장구)
The janggu is an hourglass-shaped drum that is widely used in accompaniment with other
instruments to produce a strong rhythm section. Its body is made of wood, and the drumheads are
made of animal skin. The bukpyeon drumhead on the left side is played with the palm. It is
covered with a thicker hide, producing a low tone. The chaepyeon on the right, which is played
with a bamboo stick, has a thinner skin for a higher tone. The chaepyeon can be struck in the
center of the drumhead or struck close to the rim to create a different sound. The pungmul janggu
is a featured instrument in samulnori and is played using gunggulchae, a stick with a round end.
Buk (북)
In the past, a buk was made out of one single piece of wood, but now its body is made out of two
pieces. The skins of this double-headed drum are made of cowhide. There are 20 or so types of
buk in Korea, 10 of which are rarely used. The skins of the drums used in farmers’ band music
are attached to each other by lacing leather strings across the body of the drum. Wooden pieces
wedged between the body and the strings further tighten the skin, producing varied pitches. The
skins of the buk used in pansori however, are nailed down around the body of the drum, making
it impossible to adjust the pitch.
Bibliography: Information on samulnori percussion instruments and images – www.korea.net
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