Instruments Vocab | Music-Related Vocabulary

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.

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List of Instruments in Korean

1. 피아노 - Piano

2. 기타 - Guitar

3. 바이올린 - Violin

4. 드럼 - Drum

5. 트럼펫 - Trumpet

6. 플루트 - Flute

7. 첼로 - Cello

8. 색소폰 - Saxophone

9. 하모니카 - Harmonica

10. 클라리넷 - Clarinet

11. 트롬본 – Trombone

12. 튜바 – Tuba

13. 호른 (프렌치 호른) – Horn (French horn)

14. 오보에 – Oboe

15. 바순 – Bassoon

16. 하프 – Harp

17. 만돌린 – Mandolin

18. 우쿨렐레 – Ukulele

19. 아코디언 – Accordion

20. 탬버린 – Tambourine

21. 심벌즈 – Cymbals

22. 트라이앵글 – Triangle

23. 마림바 – Marimba

24. 실로폰 – Xylophone

25. 콘트라베이스 – Contrabass

26. 키보드 – Keyboard

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

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Traditional Korean Instruments

1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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).

5. 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.

6. 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).

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 가락 (Garak) – A string instrument, often used for traditional Korean folk performances.

11. 북소리 (Bukso-ri) – The sound produced by the buk, the traditional Korean drum.

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Verbs Paired with Instruments:

1. 치다 (to play)

   • 피아노를 치다 (To play the piano)

   • 기타를 치다 (To play the guitar)

2. 불다 (to blow)

   • 트럼펫을 불다 (To blow the trumpet)

   • 플루트를 불다 (To blow the flute)

3. 케이블 (to bow)

   • 바이올린을 케이블로 치다 (To bow the violin)

   • 첼로를 케이블로 치다 (To bow the cello)

4. 연주하다 (to perform)

   • 드럼을 연주하다 (To perform on the drums)

   • 색소폰을 연주하다 (To perform on the saxophone)

5. 연주하다 (to play/perform)

   • 가야금을 연주하다 (To perform on the gayageum)

   • 해금을 연주하다 (To perform on the haegeum)

6. 타다 (to strum)

   • 기타를 타다 (To strum the guitar)

   • 아쟁을 타다 (To strum the ajaeng)

7. 두드리다 (to hit)

   • 북을 두드리다 (To hit the drum)

   • 장구를 두드리다 (To hit the janggu)

8. 치다 (to strike)

   • 북소리를 치다 (To strike the drum sound)

   • 징을 치다 (To strike the jing)

9. 당기다 (to pluck)

   • 가야금을 당기다 (To pluck the gayageum)

   • 대금을 당기다 (To pluck the daegum)

10. 울리다 (to resonate)

    • 소금이 울리다 (The sogeum resonates)

    • 피리가 울리다 (The piri resonates)

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Music Genres in Korean

1. 팝 – Pop

2. 록 / 록 음악 – Rock

3. 발라드 – Ballad

4. 힙합 – Hip-hop

5. 알앤비 / R&B – R&B

6. 재즈 – Jazz

7. 클래식 – Classical music

8. 댄스 – Dance

9. 전자 음악 – Electronic

10. 하우스 – House

11. 트로트 – Trot (traditional Korean pop)

12. 인디 – Indie

13. 포크 – Folk

14. 블루스 – Blues

15. 펑크 – Punk

16. 메탈 – Metal

17. 레게 – Reggae

18. 소울 – Soul

19. 월드 뮤직 – World music

20. 컨트리 – Country

21. 뉴에이지 – New Age

22. 오페라 – Opera

23. 뮤지컬 – Musical (theater genre)

24. 랩 – Rap

Example Sentences:

저는 팝 음악을 자주 들어요.

= I often listen to pop music.

재즈 음악은 분위기가 정말 멋져요.

= Jazz music has such a cool vibe.

인디 음악은 감성이 독특해요.

= Indie music has a unique emotional style.

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That's all for this post! As you can see most western Korean instruments are just said or written in Konglish.