Traditional Korean musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. Many traditional Korean musical instruments (especially those used in Confucian ceremonies) derive from Chinese musical instruments.
String
Korean string instruments include those that are plucked, bowed, and struck. Most Korean string instruments use silk strings, except as noted.
Plucked
Zithers
Gayageum (hangul: 가야금; hanja: 伽倻琴) – A long zither with 12 strings; modern versions may have 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, or 25 strings
Geomungo (hangul: 거문고) – A fretted bass zither with six to eleven silk strings that is plucked with a bamboo stick and played with a weight made out of cloth
Cheolhyeongeum (hangul: 철현금; hanja: 鐵絃琴) – A geomungo with 8 steel strings plucked with a bamboo stick and played with a slide made out of either glass or metal in the manner of a slide guitar, developed in the 20th centuryphoto 1photo 2
Daejaeng (hangul: 대쟁; hanja: 大筝) – A long zither with 15 strings, slightly larger than the gayageum; it was used during the Goryeo period but is no longer usedphoto
Seul (hangul: 슬; hanja: 瑟) – A long zither with 25 strings, derived from the Chinese se; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)photo
Geum (hangul: 금; hanja: 琴) – A 7-stringed zither, derived from the Chinese guqin; also called chilheyongeum; used today only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)photo
Ongnyugeum (hangul: 옥류금; hanja: 玉流琴) – A large modernized box zither with 33 nylon-wrapped metal strings, developed in 1973; used only in North Korea (pronounced ongryugeum in North Korea)photo 1photo 2photo 3
Harps
Gonghu (hangul: 공후; hanja: 箜篌) – Harps (no longer used). There were four subtypes according to shape:
Sogonghu (hangul: 소공후; hanja: 小箜篌; literally "small harp") – harp with angled sound box, 13 strings, and a peg that is tucked into the player's beltphoto
Sugonghu (hangul: 수공후; hanja: 豎箜篌; literally "vertical harp") – vertical harp without sound box and 21 strings photo
Wagonghu (hangul: 와공후; hanja: 臥箜篌; literally "lying down harp") – Arched harp with a large internal sound box and 13 strings, similar to Burmese saung gaukphoto
Daegonghu (hangul: 대공후; hanja: 大箜篌) – large vertical harp with 23-strings
Lutes
Bipa (hangul: 비파; hanja: 琵琶) – A pear-shaped lute with five strings (hyangbipa or jikgyeongbipa) or five strings (dangbipa). Uncommon today; most modern recreations are modelled on the Chinese pipa
Wolgeum (hangul: 월금; hanja: 月琴) – A lute with a moon-shaped wooden body, four strings, and 13 frets; no longer used
Eoeungeum (hangul: 어은금) – A pear-shaped lute with five strings similar to hyangbipa; used only in North Korea
Bowed
Fiddles
Haegeum (hangul: 해금; hanja: 奚琴) – A vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from the ancient Chinese xiqin
Sohaegeum (hangul: 소해금; hanja: 小奚琴) – A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern violin; used only in North Korea
Junghaegeum (hangul: 중해금; hanja: 中奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern viola; used only in North Korea[1]
Daehaegeum (hangul: 대해금; hanja: 大奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern cello; used only in North Korea[2]
Jeohaegeum (hangul: 저해금; hanja: 低奚琴) - A modernized fiddle with four strings similar to a modern double bass; used only in North Korea[3]
Zithers
Ajaeng (hangul: 아쟁; hanja: 牙箏) – A zither bowed with a wooden stick, derived from the Chinese yazheng
Daegeum (hangul: 대금; hanja: 大笒) – A large transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes and an additional hole covered by a buzzing membrane
Junggeum (hangul: 중금; hanja 中笒) – A medium-sized transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane; rarely used today
Sogeum (hangul: 소금; hanja: 小琴 or 小笒) – A small transverse bamboo flute with six finger-holes, without a buzzing membrane
Dangjeok (hangul: 당적; hanja: 唐笛) – A small transverse bamboo flute of Tang Chinese origin, slightly smaller than the junggeum
Ji (hangul: 지; hanja: 篪) – An ancient transverse bamboo flute with a protruding notched blowhole and five finger holes (one in the back and four in the front), derived from the Chinese chí. Used only in aak and Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
End-blown
Danso (hangul: 단소; hanja: 短簫) – A small notched vertical bamboo flute with four finger-holes
Tungso (hangul: 퉁소; hanja: 洞簫) – A long notched vertical bamboo flute with five finger-holes; originally called tongso
Yak (hangul: 약; hanja: 籥) – A notched vertical bamboo flute with three finger-holes; used in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music)
So (hangul: 소; hanja: 簫) – A pan flute; derived from the Chinese paixiao; used only in Munmyo jeryeak (Korean Confucian ritual music
Hun (hangul: 훈; hanja: 塤) – A globular flute made of baked clay originating from prehistoric times; end-blown like a shakuhachi, unlike an ocarina (which is a whistle design). Derived from the Chinese xun
Oboes
Piri (hangul: 피리) – A cylindrical oboe with a bamboo body. There are four varieties of piri:
Pyeonjong (hangul: 편종; hanja: 編鐘) – A set of 16 tuned bronze bells used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianzhong
Teukgjong (hangul: 특종; hanja: 特鐘) – A single large bronze bell
Pyeongyeong (hangul: 편경; hanja: 編磬) – A set of 16 tuned stone chimes used in ancient court music; derived from the Chinese bianqing
Teukgyeong (hangul: 특경; hanja: 特磬) – A single large tuned stone chime
Banghyang (hangul: 방향; hanja: 方響) – A metallophone with 16 tuned iron slabs; derived from the Chinese fangxiang
Ulla (hangul: 운라; hanja: 雲鑼 or 雲羅) – A set of ten small tuned gongs in a wooden frame; derived from the Chinese yunluo
Drums
Buk (hangul: 북) – A barrel drum used primarily in pansori, pungmul, and samulnori. The term buk is also used in Korean as a generic term to refer to any type of drum.
Janggu or Janggo (hangul: 장구 or 장고; hanja: 杖鼓 or 長鼓) – A double-headed hourglass-shaped drum generally played with one stick and one hand
the Janggu
Galgo (hangul: 갈고; hanja: 羯鼓) – Double-headed hourglass-shaped drum similar to the janggo but played with two sticks and thinner drum heads; sometimes called yanggo or yangjanggo; no longer commonly used [1]
Jingo (hangul: 진고; hanja: 晉鼓) – Largest barrel drum
Yonggo (hangul: 용고; hanja: 龍鼓) – A barrel drum with a dragon painted on its shell; used in daechwita
Eunggo (hangul: 응고; hanja: 應鼓) – Barrel drum suspended from a frame
Sakgo – (hangul: 삭고; hanja: 朔鼓) – A long barrel drum suspended from a wooden frame
Gyobanggo (hangul: 교방고; hanja: 敎坊鼓) – Flat drum suspended from a frame
Junggo (hangul: 중고; hanja: 中鼓) – Flat drum suspended from a frame; similar to the gyobanggo but larger
Sogo (hangul: 소고; hanja: 小鼓) – A small hand-held drum
Nogo (hangul: 노고; hanja: 路鼓) – A set of two drums pierced by a pole
Nodo (hangul: 노도; hanja: 路鼗) – A set of two small drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
Yeongdo (hangul: 영도; hanja:靈鼗) – Four drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
Noedo (hangul: 뇌도; hanja: 雷鼗)) – six small drums hung in a frame; used in ritual music
Noego (hangul: 뇌고; hanja: 雷鼓) – Three small barrel drums on a pole, which is twisted to play; used in ritual music
Do (도) – single pellet drum on a pole
Gongs
Kkwaenggwari (hangul: 꽹과리) – A small gong used primarily in folk music
Jing (hangul: 징) – A large gong; originally pronounced jeong (정; hanja: 鉦)
Cymbals
Jabara (hangul: 자바라; also called bara, bal, or jegeum) – pair of large brass cymbals, The name Zabara comes from Calpara.
Wooden instruments
Bak (hangul: 박; hanja: 拍) – A wooden clapper; used in ancient court and ritual music
Chuk (hangul: 축; hanja: 柷) – A wooden box, played by hitting a stick on the inside, used to mark beats or sections; derived from the Chinese zhù; used in ancient ritual music
Eo (hangul: 어; hanja: 敔) – A wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a tiger with a serrated back, played by running a bamboo whisk across it to mark the ends of sections; derived from the Chinese yǔ
Clay instruments
Bu (hangul: 부; hanja: 缶) – A clay pot, derived from the Chinese fǒu; used in Munmyo jeryeak
