The
Gayageum

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.