The ''piri'' is a Korean

double reed A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece and c ...

instrument, used in both the folk and classical (court) music of Korea. Originating in Central Asia, it was introduced to the Korean peninsula from China, and has been used there as early as the Three Kingdoms period, most notably in the states of Goguryeo and Baekje. The instrument consists of a tube of bamboo, which is perforated with finger holes, and has a large double reed. Its

cylindrical bore In music, the bore of a wind instrument (including woodwind and brass) is its interior chamber. This defines a flow path through which air travels, which is set into vibration to produce sounds. The shape of the bore has a strong influence on t ...

gives it a sound mellower than that of many other types of oboe. A typical ''piri'' has eight finger holes, seven of which are on the front, with the remaining one on the back for the thumb. There are four types of ''piri'': #Hyang piri (hangul: ; hanja: ) #Se piri (hangul: ; hanja: ) #Dang piri (hangul: ; hanja: ) #Dae piri () There are different types of ''piri'', each suited for use in a different type of music. The ''Hyang piri'' is the longest and most common form of ''piri''. Because of its loud and nasal tone, it usually plays the main melody in an ensemble. The ''se piri'' is the smaller, thinner, and much quieter one. Additionally, because of its quiet tone, it is used along with voices or soft stringed instruments. The ''Dang piri'' (Tang ''piri'') is wider and is similar to the Chinese '' guanzi''. Additionally, the North Korean ''dae piri'' is a modernized ''piri'' with keys and a bell, looking much more like a western oboe. In general, the method of playing the ''piri'' is to sit upright, pull the chin slightly, straighten the back to make it easier to breathe, hold the flute in both hands, and bite it in mouth. The ''piri'' is believed to have been introduced to Korea from Kucha, a Buddhist oasis state of Central Asia (modern-day Xinjiang) before the Goguryeo period. According to the ''Book of Sui'', the ''piri'' was also known as ''gagwan'' (), and it originates from Kucha. During the reign of King Yejong of Goryeo dynasty, another double-reed cylindrical instrument was imported from Song dynasty China, and to disambiguate, the former was named ''hyang piri'' and the latter ''dang piri''. The ''se piri'' is smaller than the ''hyang piri'', but has the same structure and range. The ''se piri'' appears to have been invented much later than the ''hyang piri''.《국악통론》, 서한범, 태림출판사, p.195 The ''piris equivalent in China is the ''

guan Guan may refer to: * Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames ** Guān, Chinese surname * Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state * Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America * Guan ( ...

'' (also known as ''bili''), and its counterpart in Japan is the ''

hichiriki The is a double reed Japanese used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese music. It is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often heard at Shinto weddings in Japan. Its sound is often described as haunting. According to scholar ...

''.

References

Korean musical instruments Single oboes with cylindrical bore {{DoubleReed-instrument-stub

See also

References