size

80cm (long)

Materials

Ssang-gol bamboo in Mt. Kyongju

Features

The instrument made by our elaborating craft after master’s careful selection of materials in Kyongju produces solemn but clean sound.

The Taegum, or J’tdae, together with the Junggeum and Sogum, used to be the three representative wind instrument in Shilla period. From an ancient history book , it is called 'Man-Pa-Sik-Jeok' which means when this instrument play, million kinds of misfortunes disappear such as enemy withdrawals and wind and sea weaves are subsiding. There are two kinds of Taegum: One is sanjo Taegum, which is played in sanjo and sinawi or as the accompaniment for dance or folk music. The other is Jeong-ak Taegum. Since the former is shorter and has closer interval between holes than the latter, it is suitable for accompanying other instruments or songs.

It is made of old yellow bamboo or hard and thick Ssang-gol bamboo. The instrument has about 2 centimeters diameters and extends about 82 centimeters. There are the blow hole in the first node called ‘Chi-gong’, the clear [sound] hole called ‘Cheong-gong’ in the next, and six hole, ‘Ji-gong’ for melodies. After six ji-gong, there are one or two holes named ‘Chilseong-gong’.

When performing, lips contact the breath hole, and the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger of the left hand block and open the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tone holes, and the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger of the right hand, the 4th, 5th and 6th tone holes.

size

40cm long

Materials

Ssang-gol bamboo in Mt. Kyongju

Features

The instrument made by us has holes with a regular interval and its finishing touch is excellent. You can well appreciate the clean and high-tone sound, which is the specialty of the instrument.

This instrument is smaller than T'ungso (vertical flute) and has a hole in the rear side and four holes in front side. Along with Yanggeum (a kind of sting instrument), the instrument was not mentioned in the book and from this fact, we know that it was introduced to Korea in the later of the Chosun dynasty. It plays accompanying Youngsan-hoe-sang, a piece dedicated to the Buddha's sermon on the mount or lyric songs. Due to its clean and graceful sound, it has widely used as solo instrument. It also plays in ensemble with Saenghwang or in trio with Yangkeum and Haegeum. With saeghwang or yanggeum, which has the same timbre, it played side by side with them. In Se-ak or Jul-Poongryu like Youngsang Hoisang and lyric songs like Gagok, Ga-sa, Sijo (traditional Korean poetry), it plays as an accompaniment.