Written by: Sanskriti Saxena, Delhi
Edited by: Pooja Vishwanathan, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
Want to know more about the diversity of Korean culture through arts? Read about Samulnori here and immerse yourself in this heavenly experience.
My interest in this musical art arose when the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), Delhi, introduced classes for this course for two months. As someone with a non-musical background, I got interested because my friend also participated in its previous batches. Adapting to the learning process was a bit slow but my teacher was very motivating and gave us individual help. In addition, with my knowledge of the basics of the Korean language, I could understand the lyrics better.
Samul-nori is a musical performance that features a combination of four traditional instruments. It originated in the 1970s, largely popularized by musician Kim Duk-soo and others. This style of performance is often incorporated into contemporary K-pop dance routines and can be adapted to various musical genres. The four instruments used in Samulnori are the buk (a barrel drum), the janggu (an hourglass-shaped drum), the jing (a gong), and the kkwaenggwari (a small gong). Each of these instruments symbolizes elements of nature, corresponding to clouds, rain, wind, and lightning, respectively.
The Buk consists of a hollowed-out wooden body with leather skins affixed to both sides. Played using a single stick, it generates the bass sounds within a musical ensemble.
The Janggu, commonly known as the hourglass drum, derives its name from its distinctive shape. This drum consists of two sides, each covered with unique types of leather skin. On one side, it generates high-pitched sounds, while on the other, it produces lower tones. Additionally, the drum’s edges are skillfully utilized to create a diverse range of sound variations. Each hand uses a stick to play.
The Kkwaenggwari, a small gong, is primarily crafted from brass with traces of gold or silver. It is a hand-held instrument played using a bamboo mallet. One hand is used to wield the mallet, while the other is responsible for modulating the sound as required. The musician playing this instrument typically assumes the role of a leader, signaling transitions in the music.
The Jing, a sizable gong, is struck using a padded stick. It offers a variety of playing options, including hanging from a frame, holding onto a handle, or playing with both hands. When played, the Jing emanates a resonant, oscillating sound reminiscent of the contours of Korea’s valleys.
Since Janggu was the most frequently played instrument in a performance, our teacher first had us all learn it before choosing us for other instruments based on our talents in Janggu. A single person or two play Jing, whereas three or four people play Buk and KKwaenggwari, respectively, and eight to ten people play Janggu.
As Janngu is a combination of two sticks with both hands, the coordination was a little difficult for me to adapt to. So, my teacher suggested I try Buk, which is played with a single hand, and I could play it very well.
Our class teacher was very strict with punctuality and absence, so our class had very good discipline. She was very excellent at teaching and gave the roles of the performance according to the talents of the students. She was very attentive to every student and perfectly coordinated each student’s place in the performance. She gave individual time for each student’s improvement. It does not matter if the student is tone-deaf or does not know the basics of music.
In their auditorium, KCCI organized our performance along with previous batch performances and other additional individual Korean performances. Based on some well-known lyrics that our teacher provided, we composed a song and used four instruments to perform the same sounds.
Samulnori is a musical performance that can be performed even if you do not know the music beforehand. I would recommend everyone join the upcoming batches of Samulnori to gain extra knowledge of Korean culture.
Let us know in the comment section below whether you would like to learn Samulnori or not. And if yes, which instrument would you like to try out first?
Very nice 😊
Amazing 🤩
Wow!! Amazing
Fabulous
Wow🤩🙌✨
I really want to learn samulnori..
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Tamanna
Amazing
Really amazing article.
Great ✨
Great article
Definitely wanna learn samulnori and wanna play all these 4 instruments once but one of my favourite is KKWAENGGWARI❤️
Wish to learn it
Great
Amazing
Wow…
Great Content😄😊 🤩👏👏
😲😲
😲😲
Very interesting!
It’s great you joined the group
Thank you for sharing!
I would like to try percussions at some point, Korean or not 🙂
Best regards
Wawww 🥹
It looks so fun 🤩
Well written , i have learnt something new today.
Amazing article
i did samulnori workshop once at kcci was fun and great experience it has been. one should try learning samulnori.its an amazing musical thing of 4 traditional intruments.
I learnt samulnori at kcci . Let me tell you its forth to join u will learn many things and mainly u will understand the real meaning of unity and team work
Informative article… learnt smthng new today 😊
I have seen some Samulnori performances and they did so well. The sounds produced were so amazing.
I would love to try this if I get a chance 💜✨️
Samulnori is a mesmerizing musical art featuring four traditional instruments: Buk, Janggu, Jing, and Kkwaenggwari. It’s a wonderful way to delve into Korean culture, even if you’re new to music. KCCI’s classes offer a supportive environment to learn and perform.
I love this article…today I read something great ..🎀🎀I will definitely try one day this instrument if I get a chance…🎀🎀🎀❤️❤️❤️
Samulnori is not just about technique.It is about expressing joy, sorrow, or other emotions through rhythm and sound🤗
Very descriptive article. The first time I experienced samulnori performance was in Korean Study Fair in India 2024 and it was amazing. The enchanting performance level up each individual’s energy.
Yes , I would like to learn Samul-nori. The instrument I wanna try to play is Janngu✌️
Amazing!! I want to try Kkwaenggwari first as well as the other instruments, following.
Very nice 💯
It’s a new art form for me, thank you for the informative article. I’m glad that KCCI continues to conduct variety of classes and workshops and have expanded so much over the years.
Impressive 🤩
This is a great article for anyone interested in learning more about samulnori. I really enjoyed reading, as in there some great tips for people who are interested in learning samulnori themselves.
Wow
Good article👏
Impressive😍
The sound and music they created from instruments is really awesome, as I personally witnessed it in the RANG DE KOREA event, and that’s awesome.
Superb
I have seen the performances and the energy is immaculate!. Would love to learn playing the ‘Buk’.
Excited 😍 amazing 😘
I saw about this in kcc website and wondered what this was about. After reading this, I’m glad I know about it in detail x
Ottoke ✌🏻😝❤️
Till yet I have only seen the performance but after reading the article I got to know the in depth details…and how the classes took place✨️✨️
I haven’t seen the performance ig
Wow
Amazed
I’ve experienced samulnori performance a few times….and it always sound so remarkable and mesmerizing ❤️🎵🎶
I want to experience this performance too
Wow I think in historical drama it was used
interesting
I expected something different but it was good to read though!