Remembrance in Rhythm: A Brief History of Traditional Korean Music

Emblematic of Koreans’ love for expressing emotions through artistic endeavors, traditional Korean music utilizes its lyrical sensibility and stylistic elements to express what words alone cannot. We would like to discuss two important forms of traditional Korean music: shaman music and court music. From the native shaman music to the aristocratic court music, Koreans’ propensity for artistic beauty has remained a staple of their musical values. 

Shaman music, the oldest form of Korean music (dating back to about 300 B.C.) arose as an accompaniment to Shamanism, a religious tradition focused on the shaman, a singular person lauded for their ability to acquire powers through trance. Shamanism was celebrated by the indigenous tribes of both northern Asia and, interestingly, indigenous people of other continents, such as the Inuit people of the northern Americas. While typically performed in primarily agricultural festivals through song and dance, the shamans themselves also used shaman music as a conduit for rituals. They used various instruments, from the changgu (장구) drum to flutes and, most notably, a small gong reminiscent of those typical of Central Asia. Performed in a syncopated, polyphonic fashion, which may seem disorganized and out of tune to the untrained listener, shaman music, when broken down, reveals its advanced polymetric character and use of advanced techniques in the pursuit of a uniquely stylized sound. This distinct blending of triplets, microtonal slides, and a six-beat metic unit set shaman music apart from its Chinese ancestors. 

Moving forward in time to circa 350 C.E., court instrumental music was born out of the evolution of Chinese music in the courts of the Korean kingdoms of Koguryo, Paekche, Silla, and Kaya. These kingdoms, which existed alongside the Chinese Tang and Choson dynasties, were influenced by their Chinese contemporaries, as exemplified by the parallel nature between the bells played by Chinese horseback bands and the p’yŏnjong bells played in Korean courts. Other notable instrumental developments that arose as a result of court music include the bamboo hun flute, the seven-stringed ajaeng zither, and the p’iri aerophone, all of which are still played today. Used for both religious and ceremonial purposes, Korean court music emphasized balance, both between Chinese and indigenous influences and between strict and loose structures. Most of our knowledge of court music is stored in well-preserved, detailed notation books, where rhythms and tempos were painstakingly recorded; these notation books are largely responsible for the endurance of these ancient techniques that would have ordinarily been lost to time.

In comparing these two styles of music, we would be remiss if we did not identify the unique heart of Korean music. At its core, Korean music serves to convey intangible, deep emotions through the medium of instrumental and vocal music. While not necessarily rigid nor typical in structure or technique, Korean music manages to put a sound to the indescribably complex emotions of all of the Korean people that have lived over the course of the nation’s history. In a way, the physical history of the notation books pale in comparison to the rich history our ancestors have ensconced in the very soundscape of their nation.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/art/Korean-music/Vocal-music

https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/AKR/AK_ENG_2_5.jsp