The saenghwang is a
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n wind instrument. It is a free reed mouth organ derived from (and quite similar to) the Chinese ''
sheng'', though its tuning is different.
It is constructed from 17 bamboo pipes, each with a metal free reed, mounted vertically in a windchest. Traditionally the saenghwang's windchest was made out of a dried gourd but it is now more commonly made of metal or wood. In contrast to other Korean traditional instruments, it is not well known today, even in Korea, and very few musicians are able to play it. It is used primarily in chamber music, usually in combination with instruments such as the
danso
The ''danso'' (also spelled ''tanso'') is a Korean notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute used in Korean folk music. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but since the 20th century it has also been made of plastic. It was imported from China ...
(vertical flute) and ''
yanggeum'' (hammered dulcimer) The instrument was referred to historically as ''saeng'' (). The ''saenghwang'' was used together with other instruments in the early
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...
, and was used as an important instrument even in the late
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...
.
The range is from Hwangjong (黃: E♭) to Cheongnam-Ryo (湳: C). Excluding the Ui-gwan, the 16 coffins produced 12-yul and 4 auditory sounds, but since they began to be used for Hyang-ak, they have a wider range. It is the only polyphonic musical instrument among Korean traditional instruments. The tone is fine and beautiful. Usually, 3 notes are produced simultaneously, 2 notes are octave, and 1 note 4 or 5 degrees below.
''
Gisaeng'' (Korean female entertainers) are often depicted playing ''saenghwang'' in old Korean paintings.
See also
*
Korean music
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 traditi ...
*
Sheng (instrument)
The ( zh, c=笙) is a Chinese mouth-blown polyphonic free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes.
It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with images depicting its kind dating back to 1100 BCE, and there are original instruments ...
*
Shō
References
External links
Saenghwang page
(with audio sample)
Free reed aerophones
Korean musical instruments
{{FreeReed-instrument-stub