Credited to South Korea. The Samguk Sagi says the instrument was developed in Gaya after King Gasil observed a Chinese zither, so it is an adaptation of the Chinese zheng and not an independent invention. The sixth-century date is also uncertain: fragments of a gayageum found in South Jeolla province have been dated to around the first century BCE.
How it began
According to the Samguk Sagi, a history of the Three Kingdoms compiled in 1146, the gayageum was developed around the sixth century in the Gaya confederacy by King Gasil after he observed an old Chinese zither. He ordered a musician named Ureuk to compose music for it. The instrument was further improved by Ureuk in Silla during the reign of King Jinheung. Some evidence points to an earlier date: excavations in the Gwangsan area of South Jeolla province, in present-day South Korea, found fragments of a gayageum from around the first century BCE.
How it works
The gayageum is a board zither with 12 silk strings, each resting on its own movable bridge, over a convex soundboard of paulownia wood. The classical form is about 160 centimeters long and 30 centimeters wide. The player sits on the floor with one end of the instrument on the right knee. The right hand plucks the strings to one side of the bridges, while the left hand presses or pulls the strings on the other side to bend the pitch and produce a wide vibrato.
How it spread
The oldest form, associated with King Gasil, accompanies court music, chamber music and lyric songs and has wide string spacing for slow music. A smaller version with closer strings, the sanjo gayageum, is believed to have evolved in the nineteenth century with the fast, partly improvised sanjo style, and it is now the most widespread form. The instrument is related to the Chinese zheng and the Japanese koto.
What lasted
The gayageum is known as the national instrument of Korea and is played in many vocal and instrumental genres, often with the janggu drum. Three main types are recognized: one for court and classical ensemble music, the sanjo type for folk and virtuosic music, and improved instruments for modern compositions.
Where it stands today
Modern versions with 13, 17, 18, 21, 22 or 25 strings extend the range for new music, often using nylon-wrapped steel strings, and some players use nylon in place of silk. The 21-string instrument is usually found in North Korea. Contemporary composers such as Hwang Byungki have written new works for it.
