Most of Korean wind instruments are made with bamboo. But bamboo trees come in many varieties and different processing methods are used, resulting in a wide range of tones. Bamboo trees feature hollow stems which are partitioned by nodes. Some bamboo stems have a vertical indentation called a sulcus groove along the internode and such bamboo stems are used to make the daegeum. Also, the daegeum has an extra hole called “cheonggong청공” between the mouthpiece and the fingerholes. The cheonggong is fitted with a thin membrane called “cheong” that produces a timbre unique to the daegeum when air is blown into it. Those who are familiar with the clear sound of the western flute may think that the “cheong” sounds irritating, like a noise, but the cheong vibration is what makes daegeum music so unique. When “Cheongseonggok청성곡” is played as a daegeum solo piece, long and high “cheong” vibrations are interspersed throughout the piece to generate a very stirring and bold feeling. Today’s rendition of “Cheongseonggok” is played by daegeum musician Kim Jeong-seung and pianist Kim Texu.

Cheongseonggok/ Daegeum by Kim Jeong-seung, piano by Kim Texu

The history of daegeum cannot be discussed without mentioning these two musicians – Jeong Yak-dae정약대 and Park Jong-gi박종기. First, Jeong Yak-dae was a court musician of the late Joseon era. He used to climb up Inwangsan인왕산 Mountain in central Seoul to practice the daegeum every day. He is said to have put a grain of sand inside his wooden shoes each time he practiced a piece titled “Dodeuri도드리” and come down from the mountain only when the shoes were filled with sand. It takes about six to seven minutes to play “Dodeuri” from start to finish. So, he would have played it all day long without resting if he were to fill his shoes with grains of sand. He supposedly practiced like that for ten years. A story goes that his hard work moved the hearts of the gods so much that one day grass sprouted from the sand in the shoes. The second piece we’re going to hear is “Dodeuri,” which can sound very boring to some people who listen to it the first time. It doesn’t have any drawn-out high notes like “Cheongseonggok” or elaborate rhythms of a freestyle sanjo piece. Oftentimes, it is hard to appreciate the subtle sentiments hidden behind such flashy melodies and beats, but when you listen to an unembellished piece like “Dodeuri,” you can feel your mind growing calmer and connecting with the essence of the music. It is more difficult to, therefore, play such a simple music piece and move people’s hearts. Perhaps this is why Jeong Yak-dae kept practicing only “Dodeuri.” Today’s “Dodeuri” is played by the practitioner of daegeum court music, Jo Chang-hoon.

Dodeuri/ Daegeum by Jo Chang-hoon

Korean traditional music is largely divided into “jeongak” or court music and folk music. Jeongak was enjoyed mostly by the members of the upper class called “yangban양반” and typically characterized as very restrained and somber. In contrast, folk music enjoyed by ordinary people amplified emotions, whether it be sorrow or joy. Joseon-era daegeum virtuoso Jeong Yak-dae was a court musician while Park Jong-gi, another daegeum virtuoso, a folk musician. Park was born into a family of artists in Jindo, Jeollanam-do Province. He was known to be deeply devoted to his parents. He supposedly nursed his ailing father back to health by feeding his own thigh meat and played the daegeum by his mother’s grave every day after her passing. Park composed “Daegeum Sanjo,” a freestyle solo for daegeum, which started off very slowly and then gradually sped up to express a wide range of feelings. Today, young daegeum player Kim Hui-gon will play the jajinmori자진모리 segment, akin to the allegro beat in western music, from of Park Jong-gi’s “Daegeum Sanjo.”

Jajinmori segment from Park Jong-gi’s “Daegeum Sanjo”/ Daegeum by Kim Hui-gon