Bak (hangul: 박; hanja: ) is a wooden

clapper Clapper or Clappers may refer to: Miscellaneous *Clapper, part of a bell *Clapper (musical instrument), consisting of two pieces of wood struck together *Clapper bridge, an ancient form of bridge *Clapper Post, urban postal service of Vienna (XVI ...

used in Korean court and ritual

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

. The person playing the bak is called jipbak, serving as the conductor or musical supervisor for the group. The bak creates the clapping

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

if clapped to indicate when the music starts. The upper part of the six long and narrow boards are tied with a string, and the lower part is held open with both hands, and then closed rapidly, creating a clear impact sound.

Construction

The bak is made of 6 flat wood boards that are about 13 1/2 in. x 2 3/4 in. The boards are tied together at one end with either string or cord to make a fan shape when spread out.

Importance

There is a record of use since

Unified Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

, and it is used for conducting to inform and instruct the progress of music and dance. The jipbak uses the bak to conduct the group, the same way a conductor uses a

baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conductin ...

. The bak is sounded when the music starts and ends with three claps and when significant changes occur. For example, listening to the sound samples of Bak
Bak sounds

References

Korean musical instruments Asian percussion instruments {{Idiophone-instrument-stub

Construction

Importance

See also

References