Yanggeum

"Yanggeum" (a dulcimer) means "a western instrument". It is also called "guracheolsageum", "gurajeolhyeongeum", "cheongeum", and "beongeum".

Yanggeum, a metal-stringed instrument, was introduced in the early years of the King Yeongjo period through China from Europe. Yanggeum is played by striking the strings with a hammer. In China, two hammers are used, but, in Korea, music is simple and flat with no chords, so one hammer is usually used in Korea.

The 56 strings, four strings for each of the 14 courses, stretch on the two bridges on the trapezoidal sounding board. Yanggeum produces sounds by striking the strings with a bamboo hammer.

The tuning of the strings is made by winding gokcheol, which is like clockwork. The strings of the hammered dulcimer are often tuned diatonically, according to the circle of the fifths pattern.

It sounds bright but cannot make trilling sounds, so it is not played as a solo instrument like the way geomungo and gayageum, which make trilling sounds, are played. Yangguem is used for orchestras, jeongak, chamber orchestras, and julpungnyu.



--> youtube