Gayageum and geomungo, explained

A traditional gayageum has 12 strings. In Korean the strings are called hyeon, so it is a 12-hyeon gayageum.

Modern versions with more strings exist, such as 21 and 25 strings.

A geomungo has 6 strings. In this app the gayageum has 12 and the geomungo has 6.

Strings

The gayageum has 12 strings and the geomungo has 6.

How they are played

The gayageum is plucked or flicked with the fingers.

The geomungo is struck or plucked with a stick called a suldae.

What holds the strings up

Each gayageum string rests on a movable bridge called an anjok, which sets the pitch.

The geomungo has raised supports under the strings called gwae.

Sound

The gayageum is described as clear and soft, the geomungo as low and heavy.

The geomungo here only imitates that with lower notes and a dull first thump.

Recorded origins

The Samguk Sagi says King Gasil of Gaya had the gayageum made.

It says the geomungo was made by Wang Sanak of Goguryeo, who reworked a Chinese instrument.

The gayageum is written gayageum in English. Some texts spell it kayagum.

The geomungo is also spelled komungo. The stick used to play it is the suldae.

Korean traditional music as a whole is called gugak.

Press Turn sound on first. Then tap a string or use the keyboard.

Pick an ornament and the pitch curve is drawn. The sound follows that curve.

In Follow along, pick a tune and the next string is marked.

The practice tunes here use string numbers. They are simplified and not official scores.

Traditional Korean music has long been written in a notation called jeonggan-bo.

For real scores, look at Korean music textbooks or materials from gugak institutions.

It runs in the browser with no install. No account and no payment.

Nothing you play is sent to a server. The sound is computed on your device.

A teacher can show the screen to explain string counts and scales.

Pentatonic scale

Korean traditional music is described as built on five notes: gung, sang, gak, chi and u.

This app offers a bright and a dark five-note scale.

Nonghyeon

A technique of pressing the string and shaking the pitch.

Toeseong and chuseong

Toeseong is commonly described as a slide down and chuseong as a push up.

This app draws both as simple curves.

The sound is built with the Karplus-Strong method, which models a vibrating string.

There are no recordings or sample files. It does not match a real instrument.

To hear the real thing, listen to a gugak performance or recording.