Chapter

This is not a classification of Korean music but an explanation of some important

concepts and genres in Korean traditional music to know before entering into theory.
It is intended to provide basic knowledge about terminology, history and the
characteristics of important genres that might not emerge in discussing theoretical
aspects of Korean traditional music but are necessary to provide a fuller
understanding of theory.

Ⅰ. A-ak and Royal Shrine Music

Court music is usually called a-ak (雅樂), literally meaning "elegant" music. A-ak is
an equivalent to Chinese yayue, Japanese gagaku, Vietnamese nha nhac. According
to Akhakgwebeom (樂學軌範, A Guide to the study of Music, Introduction 3.a),1)
published in 1493, a-ak refers specifically to sacrificial ritual music. A-ak was first
introduced from Sung Dynasty China to Korea in King Yejong's 11th year in power
(1116 AD) during the Goryeo (高麗) Period (918-1392). Under Goryeo and
throughout the following Joseon (朝鮮) dynasty (1392-1910) a-ak was used at the
important state sacrificial rituals observed by the court. During the Joseon Dynasty,
a-ak belonged to jwabang (左坊 left chamber) while sogak (俗樂, vulgar music) to
ubang (右坊, right chamber). The two kinds of music were played by two different
groups of musicians: the former by aksaeng (樂生), the latter by akgong (樂工).
As most of the state sacrificial rites were abolished during the Great Korean
Empire (大韓帝國, 1897-1910) and Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), the
Confucian shrine ritual (文廟祭禮) is the only one still employing a-ak. However,
later in the 20th century, the term of a-ak began to include other court music:
other ritual music, such as royal shrine music, banquet music, and processional
music.
The Confucian shrine ritual, is presently held twice a year in February and August
according to the lunar calendar at the shrine of Confucius, for the spirit of
Confucius, his disciples, such as Mencius, and Korean confucian scholars like Yi

1) Lee Hye-ku (Trans.) Sinyeok Akhakgwebeom (Seoul : The National Center for Korean Traditional
Performing Arts, 2000). p. 1012.
Hwang (李滉 pen name: Toegye 退溪) and Yi I (李珥 pen name: Yulgok 栗谷). This
ritual basically consists of introductory and closing sections to bring in and usher
out the ancestral spirits, three offerings of wine, preceded by offerings of food and
tribute.
In Confucian philosophy, a-ak was conceived as a symbol of a universe with ak
(樂) as a term comprising instrumental music, song and dance. Therefore, one of
the characteristics of a-ak is that music, song and dance are combined into one
performance as the necessary elements for ritual. Ceremonial song is called akjang
(樂章), dance is called ilmu (佾舞, line formation dance). There are two orchestras:
deungga (登歌, terrace ensemble), symbolizing heaven, and heon-ga (軒架, courtyard
ensemble), symbolizing earth. Located between these two, dance is performed,
symbolizing human beings.
The two orchestras alternate in performance. The courtyard ensemble plays in the
procedure of ushering in confucian spirits; then the terrace ensemble in tribute
offering and first wine offering; the courtyard ensemble in interval, second and
third offering; the terrace ensemble in tribute removed; the courtyard ensemble in
spirits ushered out and burning of written prayers.
The dances consist of munmu (文舞, civil dance) and mumu (武舞, military dance).
According to The Analects of Confucius, the number of dancers is different
depending on the position of the host. With the establishment of the Great Korean
Empire in 1897, Korea started to have 64 dancers forming 8 lines of 8 dancers for
the emperor, the Son of Heaven. Also, corresponding to the principles of yin and
yang in Chinese cosmology, munmu is performed in ushering in confucian spirits,
tribute offering and first wine offering, while mumu is performed in the second and
third offering.
Ilmu consists of a series of simple, ritual movements of stately arm motions,
bowing, turning, and posturing, with little foot motion. In the Confucian sacrificial
ritual, munmu or civil dance is performed with implements symbolizing peace, such
as an ancient flute (籥 yak) in the left hand and a stick bearing pheasant feathers
suspended from a dragon's head (翟 jeok), in the right, while military dance is
performed with a shield in the left hand and an axe in the right hand, symbolizing
defence and braveness respectively.
The Royal shrine ritual, Jongmyojerye (宗廟祭禮), was originally observed in the
first month of each season, January, April, July and October but since 1971 it has
been held only once a year on the first Sunday in May.
In this ritual, Botaepyeong (保太平, Maintaining the Great Peace), praising civil
achievements of the kings, and Jeongdae-eop (定大業, Founding a Great Dynasty),
extolling their military exploits, are played. These ritual pieces were made based on
gochwi-ak (鼓吹樂, literally meaning percussion and wind music) and hyang-ak (鄕樂,
music of Korean extraction), by King Sejong (世宗) according to The Music Score of the
Sejong sillok (Annals of King Sejong).2) However, when the two pieces were made,
they were not employed in the royal shrine ritual but in formal meetings at court. At
that time in royal shrine ritual, sacrificial ritual music of "Chinese" origin, a-ak, was
used.
It was in 1464, during the reign of King Sejo (世祖), that Botaepyeong and
Jeongdae-eop were taken to be used in the royal shrine music with some
modification. This change represented a response to the idea of his father, King
Sejong who objected to the idea of using music of Chinese origin, a-ak, to honor
the memory of Koreans.
This ritual basically consists of the same structure as the earlier a-ak, the
Confucian Shrine Music. The royal shrine music is offered with the instrumental
music, songs called akjang and dances called ilmu, the same as Confucian shrine
music, which belongs to a-ak in the narrow sense (sacrificial ritual music of
Chinese origin, as defined in Akhakgwebeom).
The use of munmu (civil dance) and mumu (military dance) and that of the terrace
ensemble and courtyard ensemble at different sections of the ritual are basically
the same as those in Confucian ritual music: Botaepyeong is performed together
with munmu at the welcoming of the spirit, the offering of tribute and the offering
of the cups of wine. Jeongdae-eop is used together with mumu for the offering of
the second and third cups of wine.
For offering the sacrificial food and removal of the tribute, Jinchanak (進饌樂) is
used, rather than Botaepyeong and Jeongdae-eop. While Botaepyeong and
Jeongdae-eop use a five-tone scale, Jinchanak uses a seven-tone scale, contrasting
with the two song suites.
Two orchestras alternate in performance, as in confucian shrine music. The
courtyard ensemble plays in the procedure of ushering in confucian spirits; then the
terrace ensemble in the tribute offering; the courtyard ensemble again in the food
offering; terrace ensemble in the first wine offering; the courtyard ensemble in the
second and third offering; the terrace ensemble in the tribute removed; the
courtyard ensemble in the spirits ushered out and burning of written prayers.
In the royal shrine ritual, munmu is performed with the same implements as in the
Confucian sacrificial ritual, while mumu or military dance is performed with wooden
swords for dancers of the first four rows and wooden spears for the dancers of
the last four rows.
The dance notation is contained in Siyongmubo (時用舞譜, lit. current dance
notation)3) which was interpreted by Seong Gyeong-rin (成慶麟, 1911-) to date back
to the period around the reign of King Yeongjo (1724-1776) and Jeongjo

2) Sejong Jangheon daewang sillogakbo, Han-gukeumakhak jaryochongseo (The Source Materials of

Korean Musicology) Vol. 20, (Seoul : The National Center for korean Traditional Performing Arts,
1986).
3) Siyongmubo, The Source Materials of Korean Musicology, Vol. 4, (Seoul : NCKTPA, 1980), p. 3.
(1777-1800). These days, the female students of the Korean Traditional Musical
National High School serve as dancers.