These days I've been trying to compile information - in English - about the Korean music tradition. Most information is in Korean, and most Koreans aren't interested in it - as something folksy, outdated, and hindering modern progress into a global world.

But the interest of foreigners into the Korean tradition pushes some koreans to take a second look at their own tradition and appreciate it... as currently even many traditional musicians are turning to western music, and fusion music (for example the Sookmyung Gayageum Orchestra does Mozart, Pachabel, the Beatles, etc) - but these concessions may make a pleasing bridge between 2 traditions, they often disregard the original tradition, and the properties that make it so much fun and interesting.

So I was just hoping to share some videos/music with you, and some information about it. Just to spread a little awareness.

First, gayageum sanjo:

the first part of the shortened "Seong Geum-yeon" school short sanjo - named by the jangdan (or rythm) - first is jinyangjo - the slowest, and often very technically difficult.

gayageum is the korean 12 string zither. the strings are made of silk and are plucked with bare fingers - giving it a softer sound compared to the japanese koto, chinese zheng, and vietnamese danh tran.

forgive me my technique is not very great, I have only been learning 1 year.

Jinyangjo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Vw5BmDtNj4

second is jungmori - the character of jungmori is finally a pickup in speed after a slow jinyangjo, but still retaining a lot of the complicated techniques as jinyangjo

Jungmori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTlYhrwS88c

third is jungjungmori - the character of jungjungmori is a slight loss in left hand technique to allow an increase in speed. The term "mori" comes from the korean word meaning to drive a herd of animals. jungmori is somewhat slow, jungjungmori is picking up more speed.

jungjungmori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-NzFHPZR9c

fourth is gutgeori - the character of gutgeori is a break from the "speeding up" from the previous 2 rythms - it's character is light and playful

gutgeori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0mBFVceYac

fifth is jajinmori - the character of jajinmori is best put by one of my teachers - when talking about the loud opening notes, she said "that means it's time to jajinmori... it's time to go fast" and returning to the "mori" or drive of a herd, this is the fast drive - primary technique is in the right hand, and the left hand supports lightly.

jajinmori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpJaT-FeIrs

sixth is hwimori - the character of hwimori is very very fast - almost continuous. Left hand techniques are almost completely abandoned for nearly 95% right hand technique to make the constant sound possible

hwimori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVrei4Zu1hY

seventh and last is eonmori - the character of eonmori is a brief relaxation after the fast music that came before

eonmori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXWeHi0XR08

Haegeum Sanjo (korean 2 string fiddle... this is not me, this is a professional)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAgxSaMdMg0

Geomungo sanjo (korean 6 string zither, 3 strings fretted like a guitar, 3 un-fretted.. again, not me, a professional)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7-P57vfeo


folk songs:
kyunggi arirang
the symbolic song of Korea
it's character is common to all kyunggi folks songs in that the melody is light and happy - even if the lyrics may be sad - kyunggi-do was the location of the palace, and thus an image of happiness and lightness was proper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDw0T6UzkFE

Jindo arirang
jindo arirang is the arirang of Jeolla-nam-do. The mode of jindo arirang is gyemyunjo - which is very sad music. Opposite to kyunggi, the sound of "nam-do" songs is very sad. Even if the lyrics are very happy, the song still sounds very sad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8wWsmlpYoI

(made popular by the movie sopyonje - a movie about korean singing (pansori))
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fRojFXrMe7A&feature=related

and last thing - a folk song presentation by a professional group - gayageum byeongchang is the word for singing while playing gayageum...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-pKIG_RIlU


Sorry it's so lengthy... I just really enjoy the subject, and wish i could share it with others