Janggu
Encyclopedia
The janggu or sometimes called seyogo (slim waist drum) 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. The two heads produce sounds of different pitch
and timbre
, which when played together are believed to represent the harmony of man
and woman.
belonging to the Silla
(57 BC–935 AD) period and in a mural painting of the same period in Goguryeo
(37 BC–935 AD) tomb. The oldest Korean historical records about an hourglass-shaped drum may be traced to the reign of King Munjong
(1047–1084) of Goryeo
as a field instrument. The Goryeo-sa (1451), or History of Goryeo, in chapter 70, records twenty janggu as part of a gift of instruments to be used in royal banquet music from the Song Dynasty
Emperor Huizong to the Goryeo
Court in Gaeseong
in 1114. This book represents the earliest appearance of the word janggu in a Korean source. Later in chapter 80, for the year 1076, the term janggu-opsa (one who plays or teaches the janggu) is used.
The janggu may have evolved from the yogo (hanja: 腰鼓; literally "waist drum"), another similar but smaller Korean drum that is still in use today. The yogo is thought to have originated from the idakka
, an Indian instrument introduced into Korea from India
through China during the Silla
(57 BC–935 AD) period. Evidence of the yogo was depicted on the mural paintings in the tomb of Jipanhyun of Goguryeo, and from the pictures at the Gameun Temple, the Relics of Buddha, made of bronze in the second year of King Mun (682) during the Unified Silla
period. It was during the time of Goryeo
that the size
of the Janggu grew to its present day standard.
and paulownia
woods. However, paulownia is most popular because it is the lightest and the best resonating material that produces beautiful sounds.
Jorongmok is the round tube in the middle connecting the left and right side of the hourglass-shaped body. The size of the jorongmok determines the quality of the tone: the wider the tube, the deeper and huskier it sounds; the narrower the tube, the harder and snappier it sounds.
The two skin heads are lapped onto metal hoops placed over the open ends of the body and secured by rope
counter-loops. The left head (book side) is covered with a thick cowhide, horsehide, or deerskin to produce deep and low tones
. The right side (chae side) is covered with either dog skin or a lighter horsehide to produces higher tones.
There are two kinds of beating sticks (chae), namely gungchae and yeolchae. The gungchae is shaped like a mallet with a round head. The handle is made from bamboo
root, boiled and straightened out and the head is made from hardwood such as birch
or antler
. Modern gungchae may also be made from plastic; this variety is normally used by beginning musicians. The yeolchae is always made from bamboo
.
Traditionally the janggu is played using yeolchae on the right hand high pitch
area and uses the bare hand on the low pitch area. Such an example can be seen on pungmul
players for a number of folk songs and shamanistic rituals. But today, it is common to see the use of gungchae and yeolchae together. 'Gungchae' is used to play the low pitch side. Janggu can be played on the floor such as for traditional sanjo
music or carried with a strap on the shoulder. The way performers carry the Janggu differs from person to person, from region to region and varies depending on his or her taste
.
The janggu is usually classified as an accompanying instrument because of its flexible nature and its agility with complex rhythm
s. Since the performer can use his or her hands as well as sticks, various sounds and tempi, deep and full, soft and tender, and menacing sounds, and fast and slow beats
, can be created to suit the mood of the audience. Using this capability, a dextrous performer can dance
along moving his or her shoulders up and down and make the audience become carried away and dance along with him or her.
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
-shaped body with two heads made from animal skin. The two heads produce sounds of different pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
and timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
, which when played together are believed to represent the harmony of man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
and woman.
History
The first depiction of the instrument is on a bellBell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
belonging to the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
(57 BC–935 AD) period and in a mural painting of the same period in Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
(37 BC–935 AD) tomb. The oldest Korean historical records about an hourglass-shaped drum may be traced to the reign of King Munjong
Munjong of Goryeo
Munjong was the 11th monarch of the Goryeo that ruled Korea from 1046 to 1083.Emperor Munjong was born in 1019 and reigned from 1046 until his death in 1083. During his reign, the central government of Goryeo gained complete authority and power over local lords. Munjong and later emperors...
(1047–1084) of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
as a field instrument. The Goryeo-sa (1451), or History of Goryeo, in chapter 70, records twenty janggu as part of a gift of instruments to be used in royal banquet music from the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
Emperor Huizong to the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
Court in Gaeseong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
in 1114. This book represents the earliest appearance of the word janggu in a Korean source. Later in chapter 80, for the year 1076, the term janggu-opsa (one who plays or teaches the janggu) is used.
The janggu may have evolved from the yogo (hanja: 腰鼓; literally "waist drum"), another similar but smaller Korean drum that is still in use today. The yogo is thought to have originated from the idakka
Idakka
The idakka , also spelt edaykka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in south India. This handy percussion instrument is very similar to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by rattling knotted cords against the resonators, the idakka is played with a stick...
, an Indian instrument introduced into Korea from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
through China during the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
(57 BC–935 AD) period. Evidence of the yogo was depicted on the mural paintings in the tomb of Jipanhyun of Goguryeo, and from the pictures at the Gameun Temple, the Relics of Buddha, made of bronze in the second year of King Mun (682) during the Unified Silla
Unified Silla
Unified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
period. It was during the time of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
that the size
Size
The word size may refer to how big something is. In particular:* Measurement, the process or the result of determining the magnitude of a quantity, such as length or mass, relative to a unit of measurement, such as a meter or a kilogram...
of the Janggu grew to its present day standard.
Construction
It is made from a hollow, hourglass-shaped wooden body of either porcelain, tile, metal, wood, gourd, or tinned sheet. Popular choices are poplarPoplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
and paulownia
Paulownia
Paulownia is a genus of from 6 to 17 species of plants in the monogeneric family Paulowniaceae, related to and sometimes included in the Scrophulariaceae. They are native to much of China, south to northern Laos and Vietnam, and long cultivated elsewhere in eastern Asia, notably in Japan and Korea...
woods. However, paulownia is most popular because it is the lightest and the best resonating material that produces beautiful sounds.
Jorongmok is the round tube in the middle connecting the left and right side of the hourglass-shaped body. The size of the jorongmok determines the quality of the tone: the wider the tube, the deeper and huskier it sounds; the narrower the tube, the harder and snappier it sounds.
The two skin heads are lapped onto metal hoops placed over the open ends of the body and secured by rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
counter-loops. The left head (book side) is covered with a thick cowhide, horsehide, or deerskin to produce deep and low tones
Musical tone
A musical tone is a steady periodic sound. A musical tone is characterized by its duration, pitch, intensity , and timbre . The notes used in music can be more complex than musical tones, as they may include aperiodic aspects, such as attack transients, vibrato, and envelope modulation.A simple...
. The right side (chae side) is covered with either dog skin or a lighter horsehide to produces higher tones.
There are two kinds of beating sticks (chae), namely gungchae and yeolchae. The gungchae is shaped like a mallet with a round head. The handle is made from bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
root, boiled and straightened out and the head is made from hardwood such as birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
or antler
Antler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
. Modern gungchae may also be made from plastic; this variety is normally used by beginning musicians. The yeolchae is always made from bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
.
Playing
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
area and uses the bare hand on the low pitch area. Such an example can be seen on 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...
players for a number of folk songs and shamanistic rituals. But today, it is common to see the use of gungchae and yeolchae together. 'Gungchae' is used to play the low pitch side. Janggu can be played on the floor such as for traditional 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...
music or carried with a strap on the shoulder. The way performers carry the Janggu differs from person to person, from region to region and varies depending on his or her taste
Taste
Taste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
.
The janggu is usually classified as an accompanying instrument because of its flexible nature and its agility with complex rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
s. Since the performer can use his or her hands as well as sticks, various sounds and tempi, deep and full, soft and tender, and menacing sounds, and fast and slow beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
, can be created to suit the mood of the audience. Using this capability, a dextrous performer can dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
along moving his or her shoulders up and down and make the audience become carried away and dance along with him or her.