How the ajaeng makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the ajaeng belongs to the tube zithers: strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The ajaeng (Korean: 아쟁; Hanja: 牙箏) is a Korean string instrument. It is a wide zither with strings of twisted silk. It is played with a slender stick of forsythia wood that is drawn across the strings in the manner of a bow. The ajaeng mainly plays the bass part in ensemble music. Some instruments have as many as nine to twelve strings. It is similar to the Japanese koto, but is bowed rather than plucked.
The ajaeng is generally played while seated on the floor. It has a tone similar to that of a cello, but raspier. Some contemporary players prefer to use an actual horsehair bow rather than a stick, believing the sound to be smoother. The instrument is used in court, aristocratic, and folk music, as well as in contemporary classical music and film scores.
Other tube zithers
Frequently asked questions
What does an ajaeng sound like?
As one of the tube zithers, its sound comes from the way strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
What type of instrument is the ajaeng?
It is classified as tube zithers (Hornbostel–Sachs 312.22).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q411880 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Ajaeng – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by No machine-readable author provided. Christian140 assumed (based on copyright claims). – CC BY-SA 3.0