JANGGU: Korean musical instrument

The janggu can sometimes be called seyogo. The janggu is the most commonly used musical drum that is used in the Korean traditional music. The musical instrument is available in many versions, and it is made up of an hourglass-shaped body, having two heads that are manufactured from animal skin. The two heads of the musical instrument create sounds of various pitch and tone quality that when performed together are thought to signify the congruence of man and woman.

The first portrayal of the musical instrument is on a bell that is belonging to the Silla at about 57 BC to 935 AD periods and in a fresco painting of the same retro in Goguryeo at 37 BC to 935 AD tomb. The primogenital Korean historical archives about an hourglass-shaped musical drum may be traced back to the rule of King Munjong from 1047 to 1084 of Goryeo as a field musical instrument.

The musical instrument might have come from the yogo, which is another analogous but smaller drum that is from Korea that is still being used today. The yogo is believed to have instigated from the idakka, a musical instrument from India that is introduced into Korea from India via China during the Silla passé. proof of the musical instrument was portrayed on the fresco paintings in the tomb of Jipanhyun of Goguryeo, and also from the depictions at the Gameun Temple, the Relics of Buddha that is manufactured of bronze in the 2nd year of King Mun, during the Unified period of Silla. It was during the period of Goryeo that the size of the musical instrument grew to its present day form.

The musical instrument is manufactured from a hollow, hourglass-shaped wooden body that is of porcelain, or tile, or metal, or wood, or gourd, or tinned sheet. Prominent choices are poplar and paulownia woods. Meanwhile, paulownia is most prevalent because it is the lightest wood and the best resonating material for the instrument that can manufacture beautiful sounds.

In the middle is the round tube called Jorongmok that is linking the left side of the hourglass-shaped body and right side of the hourglass-shaped body. The size of the round tube is what determines the timbre: the wider the Jorongmok, the cavernous and gravellier the sounds that will be produced; and the narrower the Jorongmok, the stiffer and snappier it sounds that is manufactured.

The two skin heads of the musical instrument are slurped onto metal hoops that are placed over the open ends of the instrument’s body and safeguarded by rope counter-loops. The left head of the musical instrument is covered with the use of a thick horsehide, cowhide, or deerskin to manufacture deep and low tones. The right side of the musical instrument is covered with either the use of dog skin or a lighter horsehide to manufacture higher tones from the instrument.

The beating stick of the musical instrument is called chae. There are two types of beating sticks that are used on the musical instrument namely gungchae and yeolchae. The gungchae is shaped to be like a mallet that has a round head. The handle of this version is manufactured from the root of a bamboo, boiled and straightened out out and the head is manufactured from hardwood like birch or antler. Modern version of this stick might also be produced from plastic; this version of the stick is often used by starting musicians. The yeolchae is often manufactured from bamboo.

Traditionally the musical instrument is played with the use of yeolchae on the right hand by the player on the high pitch area and  is played with the use of the bare hand on the low pitch area of the instrument. Such an illustration can be found on pungmul performers for a number of folk music and shamanistic rituals. But in the modern days, it is corporate to see the gungchae and yeolchae being used together. Gungchae is used in the playing of the low pitch side of the musical instrument. The janggu can be performed on the floor such as for customary sanjo music or carried with the use of a strap on the shoulder of the player. The manner the players carry the musical instrument varies from individual to individual, from province to province and differs liable on his or her taste.

The musical instrument is commonly categorized as an accompanying musical instrument because of the flexibility and the agility of the instrument with complex rhythms. Since the player of the musical instrument can use his or her hands and also the sticks, different sounds and tempo, profound and full, spineless and tender, as well as menacing sounds, and quick and sluggish beats, can be manufactured to suit the mood of the listening audience. Using this competence, a expert player of the musical instrument can dance along playing the musical instrument, stirring his or her shoulders up and down and cause the audience come to be carried away and dance alongside with the player of the musical instrument.