One Step Closer to Nature 17
Korean music had been greatly influenced by shamanism.
music and Western music should be sought in the context of harmonizing two different cultures, one rational and one emotional, rather than that of harmonizing different musical styles or instruments.
Warm Timbre Generally speaking, Korean music conveys a gentle, warm timbre— this is particularly true of jeongak music. The subtle tonal color of the music can be attributed to the fact that Korean instruments are made of nonmetallic materials. In the West, even wind instruments such as flutes and clarinets are made of metal. In Korea, on the other hand, wind instruments tend to be made solely from wood; even stringed instruments have strings made of silk instead of wire. Nearly all of Korea’s wind instruments use bamboo. During the Joseon Dynasty, woodcrafts were developed to a greater extent than metalcraft and were used even for everyday objects. The Korean inclination for plant-derived materials may stem from a warm, emotional character that seeks to embrace all things.