Yanggeum

The yanggeum is a member of the board zithers (Hornbostel–Sachs 314.122). Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the yanggeum makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the yanggeum belongs to the board zithers: strings are stretched across a flat board or box – the family of the piano, harpsichord and hammered dulcimer.

More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.

Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.

From Wikipedia

The yanggeum (Korean: 양금; Hanja: 洋琴) is a traditional Korean string instrument. It is a hammered dulcimer. Unlike other traditional Korean instruments (most of which have silk strings), the yanggeum has metal strings. It is played by striking the strings with a bamboo stick.

Yanggeum means a stringed instrument of the West (yang). The yanggeum is also called seoyanggeum ("Western stringed instrument") or gura cheolsageum (歐邏鐵絲琴,"European metal stringed instrument"). The yanggeum's origin is based on a South Asian instrument called the santoor. It was introduced to Korea in the 18th century via China. Its body is flat and trapezoidal, with seven sets of four metal strings. The right hand strikes the strings with a thin bamboo strip.