East Asia · Korea· coming soon

The
Gayageum

A Korean silk-stringed zither, twelve strings stretched across a board nearly two metres long. The most beloved instrument of the Korean classical tradition.

ForEvening calmMoodSilken · royal · twilight

In preparation

Quick answer

The gayageum is the Korean zither: a long paulownia-wood body with twelve silk or synthetic strings, each raised on its own movable bridge. The right hand plucks bare-fingered while the left presses the string behind the bridge to bend, shake and release the pitch — the ornament Korean music calls nonghyeon. Its tone is silken rather than bright, and it suits the last hours of the evening.

The gayageum is a Korean zither with twelve silk strings (modern variants sometimes have eighteen or twenty-five), each supported by a movable wooden bridge in the shape of a wild goose. The instrument is long — nearly two metres — and is played sitting on the floor, with one end resting on the player’s knee. Its written history begins in the 6th century in the kingdom of Gaya, from which the instrument takes its name.

The gayageum sits at the centre of the Korean classical tradition called jeongak — the “correct music” of the royal court, characterized by slow tempos, long sustained phrases, and the subtle left-hand ornaments that bend and decorate each note after it has been plucked. The instrument’s silk strings give it a softer, less metallic tone than its Chinese cousin the guzheng — closer to a whisper than to a cascade. Our piece, when it arrives, will draw on the slow sanjo repertoire — improvised solo music in the modal style, paced for evening listening.

A new piece for this tradition is in preparation. Subscribe on YouTube to be notified when it releases.

Common questions

Questions people ask about the gayageum

How is the gayageum different from the Chinese guzheng or Japanese koto?

All three are bridged long zithers, but the gayageum is traditionally plucked with bare fingers rather than picks, has twelve strings in its classical form, and leans heavily on left-hand pitch-bending. The repertoires and tunings are entirely distinct.

What is sanjo?

Sanjo is a solo instrumental form that moves through a sequence of rhythmic cycles, starting slow and gradually accelerating. It is the best-known showcase for the gayageum and is usually accompanied by a janggu drum.

What is jeongak?

Jeongak is the older court and literati repertoire — restrained, slow and formal, as opposed to the folk-rooted expressiveness of sanjo. It is the quieter of the two traditions to listen to.

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Questions people ask about the gayageum

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