page_title: Gayageum
section_title: Playing method
hierarchical_section_title: Gayageum / Playing method
caption_attribution_description: 2011.08.05 - Concert Kwak SooEun &amp; l’ensemble de gayageum La-on G 2011.08.05 - 콘서트 곽수은 &amp; 가야금앙상블 ‘라온G' Centre Culturel Coréen - Paris
context_page_description: The gayageum or kayagum is a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument with 12 strings, though some more recent variants have 18 or 21, 25 strings. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument. It is related to other Asian instruments, including the Chinese guzheng, Japanese koto, Mongolian yatga, Vietnamese đàn tranh, Sundanese kacapi and Kazakh jetigen. When played, the sound varies between traditional Eurasian stringed instruments and the Appalachian banjo.
context_section_description: The gayageum is traditionally played when sitting on the floor with crossed legs, the head of the instrument resting on the right knee and the tail resting on the floor. When played whilst seated on a chair or stool, the tail end is usually placed on a special fold-out stand, similar to a camp-stool, or another chair/stool. For modern gayageum, they may be placed on a special stand with the player seated on a chair behind the instrument. The North Koreans usually play whilst seated on a chair, but they do not use a stand of the tail end. Instead, the gayageum has detachable legs that are fixed into the end to raise the tail high enough.
  The gayageum is played with both right and left hands. The right hand plucks and flicks the strings close to the bridge of the gayageum, whilst the left hand pushes the strings on the left side of the bridges to raise the pitch and adds vibrato and other ornamentation.
caption: Concert Kwak SooEun and ensemble playing the gayageum
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