Ajaeng
Encyclopedia
The ajaeng is a Korea
n string instrument
. It is a wide zither
with strings made of twisted silk
, played by means of a slender stick made of forsythia
wood, which is scraped against the strings in the manner of a bow
. The original version of the instrument, and that used in court music (called the jeongak
ajaeng), has seven strings, while the ajaeng used for sanjo
and sinawi
(called the sanjo ajaeng) has eight strings; some instruments may have up to nine strings.
The ajaeng is generally played while seated on the floor. It has a deep tone similar to that of a cello
, but more raspy. Some contemporary players prefer to use an actual horsehair
bow rather than a stick, believing the sound to be smoother. The instrument is used in court, aristocratic, and folk music, as well as in contemporary classical music
and film scores.
The ajaeng is derived from the Chinese yazheng
(simplified: 轧筝; traditional: 軋箏).
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
. It is a wide zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
with strings made of twisted silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, played by means of a slender stick made of forsythia
Forsythia
Forsythia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae . There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. The common name is also Forsythia; the genus is named after William Forsyth.-Growth:They are deciduous shrubs typically growing to a...
wood, which is scraped against the strings in the manner of a bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
. The original version of the instrument, and that used in court music (called the jeongak
Jeongak
Jeongak is that category of Korean music which is considered classical, as distinct from minsogak which is folk music. The category has traditionally been associated with the upper classes....
ajaeng), has seven strings, while the ajaeng used for sanjo
Sanjo (music)
Sanjo, literally meaning 'scattered melodies' and is a style of traditional Korean music, involving an instrumental solo accompanied by drumming on the janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum...
and sinawi
Sinawi
Sinawi, sometimes spelled shinawi, is a traditional form of Korean music. It is performed improvisationally by a musical ensemble, and traditionally accompanies the rites of Korean shamanism. The style first emerged in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces, but is now widespread...
(called the sanjo ajaeng) has eight strings; some instruments may have up to nine strings.
The ajaeng is generally played while seated on the floor. It has a deep tone similar to that of a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, but more raspy. Some contemporary players prefer to use an actual horsehair
Horsehair
Horsehair is the long, coarse hair growing on the manes and tails of horses. It is used for various purposes, including upholstery, brushes, the bows of musical instruments, a hard-wearing fabric called haircloth, and for horsehair plaster, a wallcovering material formerly used in the construction...
bow rather than a stick, believing the sound to be smoother. The instrument is used in court, aristocratic, and folk music, as well as in contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
and film scores.
The ajaeng is derived from the Chinese yazheng
Yazheng
The yazheng is a Chinese string instrument. It is a long zither similar to the guzheng but bowed by scraping with a sorghum stem dusted with resin, a bamboo stick, or a piece of forsythia wood...
(simplified: 轧筝; traditional: 軋箏).
Video
- Ajaeng videos from Robert GarfiasRobert GarfiasRobert Garfias is a figure in ethnomusicology and musicology. He is a professor of Anthropology and a member of The Social Dynamics and Complexity Group at the University of California, Irvine as well as a professor at the Japanese National Museum of Ethnology in Senri, Osaka...
site
External links
- Ajaeng page
- http://www.ajaeng.org/