Korean drums play an important part in traditional Korean music, ranging from folk music to royal court music

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....

. There are a wide variety of shapes and sizes, for use both in accompanying other instruments and in special drumming performances.

In the traditional Korean classification of instruments, drums are grouped with the hyeokbu (혁부), or instruments made with leather.

History

During the Joseon

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 period, many types of drums were used for the royal court music, including the janggu, jwago, yonggo, gyobanggo, jingo, jeolgo, nogo, and others. Among these, the janggu was also used for folk music, and later became the most commonly used drum used in Korean music.

Types

• Buk
  Buk (drum)
  The buk is a traditional Korean drum. While the term buk is a native Korean word used as a generic term meaning "drum" , it is most often used to refer to a shallow barrel-shaped drum, with a round wooden body that is covered on both ends with animal skin...
  
   (hangul: 북) - Double-headed shallow barrel drum used in folk music and played with one stick or one hand and one stick; varieties of buk are used in pansori
  Pansori
  Pansori is a genre of Korean traditional music. It is a vocal and percussional music performed by one sorikkun and one gosu . The term pansori is derived from pan , and sori .- Overview :...
  
  , pungmul
  Pungmul
  Pungmul is a Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dancing, and singing. Most performances are outside, with tens of players, all in constant motion. Pungmul is rooted in the dure farming culture. It was originally played as part of farm work, on rural holidays, at other village...
  
  , and samulnori
• Janggu
  Janggu
  The janggu or sometimes called seyogo is the most widely used drum used in the traditional music of Korea. It is available in most kinds, and consists of an hourglass-shaped body with two heads made from animal skin...
  
   or Janggo (hangul: 장고 or 장구; hanja: 杖鼓 or 長鼓) - A double-headed hourglass-shaped drum generally played with one stick and one hand
• Galgo
  Galgo
  The galgo is a traditional Korean drum. The drum has an hourglass-shaped wooden body and two drum heads of identical diameter, similar to the janggu. Compared to the janggu, the galgo is fitted with a sound-adjusting funnel different from that of the janggu...
  
   (hangul: 갈고; hanja: 羯鼓) - Double-headed hourglass-shaped drum similar to the janggo but played with two sticks and thinner drum heads; sometimes called yanggo or yangjanggo; no longer commonly usedhttp://www.kcaf.or.kr/ehome3/english/galgo.htm
• Jingo (hangul: 진고; hanja: 晉鼓) - Largest barrel drum
• Jeolgo (hangul: 절고; hanja: ) - Barrel drum
• Jwago (hangul: 좌고; hanja: ) - A barrel drum in a wooden frame
• Geongo (hangul: 건고; hanja: ) - Huge barrel drum
• Yonggo (hangul: 용고; hanja: ) - A barrel drum with a dragon painted on its shell; used in daechwita
  Daechwita
  Daechwita is a genre of Korean traditional music consisting of military music played by wind and percussion instruments, generally performed while marching...
  
  
• Eunggo (hangul: 응고; hanja: ) - Barrel drum suspended from a frame
• Sakgo - (hangul: 삭고; hanja: ) - A long barrel drum suspended from a wooden frame
• Gyobanggo (hangul: 교방고; hanja: ) - Flat drum suspended from a frame
• Junggo (hangul: 중고; hanja: ) - Flat drum suspended from a frame; similar to the gyobanggo but larger
• Sogo (hangul: 소고; hanja: ) - A small hand-held drum
• Nogo (hangul: 노고; hanja: ) - A set of two drums pierced by a pole
• Nodo (hangul: 노도; hanja: ) - A set of two small drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Yeongdo (hangul: 노도; hanja:) - Four drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Noedo (hangul: 뇌도; hanja: )) - six small drums hung in a frame; used in ritual music
• Noego (hangul: 뇌고; hanja: ) - Three small barrel drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
• Do (도) - single pellet drum on a pole

External links

• Buk page from NCKTPA site

Video

• Video showing sori-buk used in pansori
• Video showing pungmul-buk used in samulnori
• Video showing yonggo used in daechwita