The ''danso'' (also spelled ''tanso'') is a Korean notched,
end-blown vertical
bamboo flute
The bamboo flute, especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known. Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists. While the oldest flutes currently kn ...
used in Korean folk music. It is traditionally made of
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
, but since the 20th century it has also been made of plastic. It was imported from China in the 19th century, where it is called duanxiao (). The Korean name is the transliteration of the Chinese one, a short variant of the
xiao.
The flute has four finger holes and one thumb hole at the back. The playing range is two octaves, going from low G to high G. The lower sounds are made by just blowing, whereas the higher ones are made by difference in the strength of the blowing. The tone is clear, and it is also used as a solo instrument, but is mainly used for ensemble with other instruments in
chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...
.
The ''dan'' in the instrument's name means "short", and ''so'' refers to the notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute. To match its name, It is the shortest wind instrument played vertically.
Another Korean end-blown vertical bamboo flute, the ''
tungso
The ''tunso'' (hangul: 퉁소; hanja: 洞簫) (sometimes ''tonso'', transliteration of its Chinese name of '' dòngxiāo'') is a Korean notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute used in Korean traditional music. It is similar to the ''danso'' ...
'' (), is longer.
See also
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Bamboo musical instruments
Bamboos natural hollow form makes it an obvious choice for many musical instruments.
Overview
Bamboo has been used to create a variety of instruments including flutes, mouth organs, saxophones, trumpets, drums, xylophones.
Flutes
There are num ...
*
Music of Korea
Korea refers to music from the Korean peninsula ranging from prehistoric times to the division of Korea into South and North in 1945. It includes court music, folk music, poetic songs, and religious music used in shamanistic and Buddhist tradit ...
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Quena
The quena (hispanicized spelling of Quechua ''qina'', sometimes also written ''kena'' in English) is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally made of cane or wood, it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole, and is open on both ends or th ...
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Traditional Korean musical instruments
Traditional Korean musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. Many traditional Korean musical instruments (especially those used in Confucian ceremonies) derive from Chinese musical instruments.
String
K ...
*
Tungso
The ''tunso'' (hangul: 퉁소; hanja: 洞簫) (sometimes ''tonso'', transliteration of its Chinese name of '' dòngxiāo'') is a Korean notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute used in Korean traditional music. It is similar to the ''danso'' ...
*
Xiao (flute)
The ''xiao'' (, pronounced ) is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of bamboo. It is also sometimes called ''dòngxiāo'' (), ''dòng'' meaning "hole." An ancient name for the xiāo is ''shùzhúdí'' (, lit. "vertical ...
References
Korean musical instruments
End-blown flutes
Bamboo flutes
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