The Haegeum
Korea’s two-string fiddle
The haegeum is a vertical two-string bowed fiddle with an unmistakably vocal, expressive voice. It has no fingerboard — the player presses and slides the strings in mid-air, bending pitch and colour with extraordinary subtlety.
Compact yet powerful, the haegeum moves easily from tender, speech-like phrases to bright, dancing energy, and sits at the heart of Korean traditional ensemble music (gugak).
Hear it live
The Shilla Ensemble features the haegeum alongside the daegeum, gayageum and janggu in performances across the UK and Europe.
Learn to play the haegeum
We teach the haegeum one-to-one, in person in London or online via Zoom, for all levels including complete beginners.