Tuesday, 23 September 2014.

Korean Traditional Music

By: Rachel Amabel L.
Traditional Korean Songs
Tells the history of Korea.
A history memorable for its sorrow and
pain.
Not all Korean traditional songs are sad.
Royal court music is the type of music
used to celebrate rituals or ceremonies.
Formal music is directed towards the
achievements from former kings.
Displays and playings of every
instrument represents a certain symbol.
Their folk songs has been categorized
as an intangible heritage by the
UNESCO.
Dancers performing Arirang.
Why is it important to Korea?
The song tells us about the separation and tragedy between two
lovers. However, it also represents their bitter modern history.
It has been with the Korean people throughout hard times, happy
moments, and also sorrow.
It expresses the time they used to live in but at the same time it also
reflects numerous feelings we feel in our daily lives.
The song was also created to commemorate the released film
entitled, Arirang in 1926.
The song represents all the happiness and sorrow felt in Koreas
history and the lives of its people.
It is also considered as Koreas unofficial anthem.
Is this a good example?
Yes, because:
It is their cultural DNA to the people of Korea.
It also served as an emblem of Koreas clash for independence
concealed by Japan.
A symbol of their people.
Delivers the spirit of each generation.
The song is the most symbolic figure of Korean culture.
What place does it have in the
cultural society?
In the Korean cultural society, it holds a special place in the society because it
represents the time when the North and South were still together as ONE
country... not two.
It would be sung during the commemoration of the releasing the for the movie
entitled, Arirang.
But it is also sung during the commemoration of when the North and South
were still together.
Usually, traditional folk song singers would sing it.
It would be sung in places like stadiums or traditional halls in which they will hold
their commemorations.
Lyrics
Instruments used?
The Gayageum is the string instrument used in the song.
The Piri is a wind instrument used in the song.
This instrument is also an instrument that I am not familiar with.
However, it resembles a flute thus giving some recognition to it.
However, I have never seen it being played by an individual.
This is an instrument I am not familiar with because this is something I
have not seen live, nor have I seen anyone playing it. But I have seen it
on television and have heard it from multiple audios.
Gayageum Piri
Gayageum and Piri
ELEMENTS
Melody
The melody, unfortunately, is not very memorable, singable, and catchy.
The melody of the song isnt very memorable because of the notes and
loops in the song.
It also isnt very singable because the lyrics in the song are very hard to
recognize even for the people who do not speak the language, in my opinion.
It isnt very catchy either because of the way the song is sung nor is it
because its mainly because its not something I would like to listen to,
frankly speaking.
Tempo
The pace of this piece is slow.
Or in other words... alegro
It is approximately 112 beats per minute.
The tempo is accompanied by the two instruments playing the melody
of the song.
The song has a slow pace because the lyrics sung by the singer is
also sung at a slow pace.
Harmony
By listening to this song, you can tell that the songs chords are
placed in major. However, it was hard to tell because it sounded like it
was in minor as well.
The Gayageum is playing the harmony. It can be told that the
harmony is played by that instrument because of how the notes are
played by the instrument.
It has a simple harmony but when you listen to the song, youll think
that it has a complex harmony.
The harmony is simple because its notes are repetitive and always
stay the same.
Meter
It has a simple duple meter.
It can be told that the song has a complex duple meter because of the
Gayageum. The notes played by the Gayageum is 2 beats and
because of this, it also creates the slow pace of the song.
Rhythm
The rhythm of the song is repeated as well as the notes. There arent
that much of a variety of notes in this song and it shows that it is
repetitive.
The song itself is simple but repetitive.
Dynamics
The volume of the piece is medium loud.
Or in other words, mezzo forte.
The Gayageum and the singer is what makes the pieve mezzo forte.
The pressure the singer sung on the notes created the loudness of
the song.
The pitch of the song is what also makes the dynamics loud.
Texture of the song
The texture of the song is non-imitative polyphonic.
Non-imitative polyphonic means that there are 2 melodies and one
voice.
The song is accompanied by 2 instruments and one voice.
Sources
The History of Hanguk Eumak: Arirang, The Emotion of Korean
Music. Official Site of Korean Tourism. Web. Tuesday, September 9
2014. <http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_1_6_1.jsp>
Maria, Anca. Arirang. AncaMaria26. February 17,2013. Web.
Tuesday, September 9 2014.
<http://ancamaria26.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/arirang/>
Dunbar, Jon. Arirang, Koreas Unofficial Anthem. Korea.net. April 5th
2012. Web. Tuesday, September 9 2014.
<http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=99813>
Sensation - E12C01 Kim Young Im, Bonjo Arirang. Arirang.
September 13, 2013. Web. Tuesday, September 9 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V-i4t-EzQQ>