The Gayageum
The singing zither of Korea
The gayageum is Korea’s best-loved traditional string instrument — a long wooden zither, traditionally with twelve silk strings, plucked and pressed to produce a warm, shimmering, deeply expressive sound. Dating back over 1,500 years, it sits at the heart of Korean traditional music (gugak), from delicate court melodies to the virtuosic folk form sanjo.
Each note can be bent, vibratoed and shaded by the left hand, giving the gayageum its singing, vocal quality — closer to breath and voice than to a piano. It can be intimate and meditative, or driving and percussive.
Hear it live
The Shilla Ensemble features the gayageum alongside the daegeum (bamboo flute) and janggu (drum) in performances across the UK and Europe.
Learn to play the gayageum
We teach the gayageum one-to-one, in person in London or online via Zoom, for all levels including complete beginners — with professional Shilla Ensemble musicians.