Instruments Vocab | Music-Related Vocabulary

KSJ 쌤
Jun 20
4 min read

안녕하세요 여러분~ Koreanstudyjunkie입니다!

In this lesson, I thought it might be nice to make a list of instruments in Korean. It's also a good opportunity to talk about traditional Korean instruments as well.

List of Instruments in Korean

피아노 - Piano
기타 - Guitar
바이올린 - Violin
드럼 - Drum
트럼펫 - Trumpet
플루트 - Flute
첼로 - Cello
색소폰 - Saxophone
하모니카 - Harmonica
클라리넷 - Clarinet
트롬본 – Trombone
튜바 – Tuba
호른 (프렌치 호른) – Horn (French horn)
오보에 – Oboe
바순 – Bassoon
하프 – Harp
만돌린 – Mandolin
우쿨렐레 – Ukulele
아코디언 – Accordion
탬버린 – Tambourine
심벌즈 – Cymbals
트라이앵글 – Triangle
마림바 – Marimba
실로폰 – Xylophone
콘트라베이스 – Contrabass
키보드 – Keyboard

See A List of Verbs That Are Often Used with These Instruments Below!

Traditional Korean Instruments

가야금 (Gayageum) – A 12-string zither-like instrument, often used in traditional Korean music.
- Cultural Note: This instrument is often associated with traditional Korean music and is featured in court and folk music performances. It has a soft, mellow tone and is commonly used in genres such as 궁중 음악 (court music) and 산조 (solo improvisational music).
해금 (Haegeum) – A traditional string instrument with two strings, similar to a fiddle, played with a bow.
- Cultural Note: It is often used in Korean traditional performances, including 판소리 (a form of musical storytelling), and can be used in both folk and contemporary music.
아쟁 (Ajaeng) – A traditional Korean string instrument with a larger size and deeper tones than the gayageum.
- Cultural Note: It is often used in 판소리 performances or accompanying other traditional instruments. The ajaeng’s deep, resonant tones evoke a powerful emotional response.
북 (Buk) – A barrel drum used in traditional Korean drumming.
- Cultural Note: The buk is crucial in Korean 풍물놀이 (traditional drumming performances) and has a rhythmic role in Korean 마당놀이 (village performances).
장구 (Janggu) – An hourglass-shaped drum played with two sticks, often used in Korean folk music.
- Cultural Note: It is used in 농악 and 사물놀이 (traditional Korean percussion ensemble) and can produce both high and low sounds depending on which side of the drum is struck.
피리 (Piri) – A traditional Korean bamboo flute.
- Cultural Note: The piri is a symbol of Korean traditional wind instruments and is often featured in 정악 (court music) and 민속 음악 (folk music).
소금 (Sogeum) – A small bamboo flute, similar to the piri but with a softer tone.
- Cultural Note: It is commonly used in 정악 (court music) and has a bright, melodic sound.
대금 (Daegum) – A larger bamboo flute, known for its deep and rich sound.
- Cultural Note: It is widely used in 정악 and 산조 performances, often accompanying the gayageum and haegeum.
징 (Jing) – A large gong, used to provide rhythm in traditional Korean music.
- Cultural Note: It is often used in Korean folk performances, especially during rituals and ceremonies, to signal transitions or add dramatic emphasis.
가락 (Garak) – A string instrument, often used for traditional Korean folk performances.
북소리 (Bukso-ri) – The sound produced by the buk, the traditional Korean drum.

Verbs Paired with Instruments:

치다 (to play)
- 피아노를 치다 (To play the piano)
- 기타를 치다 (To play the guitar)
불다 (to blow)
- 트럼펫을 불다 (To blow the trumpet)
- 플루트를 불다 (To blow the flute)
케이블 (to bow)
- 바이올린을 케이블로 치다 (To bow the violin)
- 첼로를 케이블로 치다 (To bow the cello)
연주하다 (to perform)
- 드럼을 연주하다 (To perform on the drums)
- 색소폰을 연주하다 (To perform on the saxophone)
연주하다 (to play/perform)
- 가야금을 연주하다 (To perform on the gayageum)
- 해금을 연주하다 (To perform on the haegeum)
타다 (to strum)
- 기타를 타다 (To strum the guitar)
- 아쟁을 타다 (To strum the ajaeng)
두드리다 (to hit)
- 북을 두드리다 (To hit the drum)
- 장구를 두드리다 (To hit the janggu)
치다 (to strike)
- 북소리를 치다 (To strike the drum sound)
- 징을 치다 (To strike the jing)
당기다 (to pluck)
- 가야금을 당기다 (To pluck the gayageum)
- 대금을 당기다 (To pluck the daegum)
울리다 (to resonate)
- 소금이 울리다 (The sogeum resonates)
- 피리가 울리다 (The piri resonates)