Those of you who know me will not be surprised that as I have been learning to play the kayagum during my time here I have managed to acquire not one but two kayagums.
Two kayagums is, possibly, one kayagum more than it is necessary to have. Or so certain parties claim. So, today I sold the cheapo one I had bought back in the fall to a guy in my class. And I have finally set up the one that I bought back at Dongdaemun flea market back before it closed down.
It was just the plank when I got it, and was cheap (80,000 won). Turns out it was quite a find, forty years old (according to the engraving on the back) has a great, resonant sound at least as good as the ones we play in class. So, I am pleased with that. The sound is certain to open up quite a bit too, as it is played. The set up was a hell of a process. There are four separate kinds of knot to learn for the strings and a huge amount of adjustment to get the thing properly tuned. I was helped along by comparing it to the other one (which was set up only partially correctly, as it turns out) and then these little videos of the knot tying a guy in class filmed from his other instructor. Some of it I just used the force and it seems to have panned out. After several hours of set up it is playing very well. But my belief has always been that if you are going to play an instrument you should disassemble it, which in turns demystifies it. Or maybe I just like monkeying around with things.
The class only has one more session, and then the final concert at the end. We have learned a bunch of good stuff. In the concert we are playing a series of three tunes which have a rhythm meant to evoke driving cattle: Hui Mo Ri, Ot Mo Ri, Cut Mo Ri. They aren't really cowboy songs, but they are pretty lively and rhythmic and can be played fast. So much kayagum music is slow but the fast stuff definitely appeals to the old time musician in me. My teacher tells me to play slower and more pretty. I have heard that somewhere before.
Comments