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| Buk (drum) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Buk |
| Background | percussion |
| Classification | Membranophone |
| HornbostelSachs | 211.26 |
| Developed | Korea; historical records from Goryeo and Joseon periods |
| Related | Janggu; Sogo; Taiko; Dhol |
Buk (drum) The buk is a traditional Korean drum central to Korean music ensembles, Pansori narratives, Samulnori percussion, and royal Gugak performances. It functions as both musical timekeeper and ritual instrument in contexts spanning court, folk, shamanic, and contemporary stages. Makers, performers, and scholars trace its forms through interactions with neighboring traditions such as Chinese percussion, Japanese taiko, and transregional Central Asian influences.
The term buk derives from Middle Korean usage recorded in historical texts from the Goryeo and Joseon periods and appears alongside names like kasa, soribuk, and yonggo in royal archives and ritual manuals. Historical chronicles such as the Goryeosa and Annals of the Joseon Dynasty distinguish buk variants in lists that also include instruments used in Jongmyo Jerye and Aak ceremonies. Court musicians, shaman priests, and folk ensembles employed specialized vocabulary found in treatises associated with Sejong the Great and later compendia compiled by Heungseon Daewongun-era collectors.
Traditional buk construction uses a cylindrical wooden body carved from single logs or coopered staves drawn from timber like zelkova, pine, or paulownia, worked by artisans linked to guilds recorded in Joseon registries. Heads are animal skin—typically cowhide or deerskin—tacked or laced over hoops, tensioned by leather thongs or nails similar to techniques noted in Goryeo instrument-making manuals. Decorative painting and lacquer relate to court aesthetics seen in artifacts held at the National Museum of Korea, with craftsmen influenced by roof-wood joinery practices documented in Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung construction records.
Variants include soribuk used in Pansori; yonggo featured in military and royal processions including Jinju and provincial festivals; jingo employed in court ensembles; and pungmul buk in Pungmul and Nongak agricultural performances. Regional styles from Jeolla, Gyeongsang, Gangwon, and Jeju provinces show differences in size, tuning, and decoration, paralleling distinctions found in Andong mask dance troupes and Buyeo heritage ensembles. Comparisons are made with other East Asian drums such as Taiko from Japan and the Dhol of South Asia in ethnomusicological surveys.
Playing techniques employ sticks (chae) or hands, with rhythmic patterns encoding forms like jangdan used in Pansori, cyclical structures of Samulnori, and procession beats for Daechwita and military parades. Ensembles coordinate buk patterns with melodic instruments like Gayageum, Geomungo, Haegum, and Danso, and with wind instruments such as Piri and Taepyeongso during seasonal rites at shrines like those for Dangun commemorations and village Jesa ceremonies. Notated strokes and pedagogical lineages trace to masters associated with institutions including National Gugak Center and conservatories at Seoul National University.
The buk anchors genres spanning narrative Pansori, theatrical Pansori changguk, masked dance-drama traditions such as Talchum, and agrarian festivals including Dano and Chuseok rites. In court contexts it joins Aak and Hyangak ensembles for royal ceremonies, and in shamanic rituals—linked to practitioners documented in ethnographies of Mudang traditions—it underpins possession dances and petitionary rites. Military uses tie to historical signals and morale in processions recorded in Joseon military manuals.
Archaeological finds and iconography indicate drum forms in the Korean peninsula since early states like Three Kingdoms of Korea, with later systematization under Goryeo and codification during Joseon court ritual reform. The buk’s symbolic associations appear in literati poetry and painters’ depictions preserved alongside works by artists patronized by King Sejong and aristocratic clans. Its social role intersects with civic organization of festivals in locales such as Andong and Gimhae, and scholars link diffusion patterns to exchanges across the Yellow Sea and maritime trade networks involving Ming China and Ryukyu.
Since the 20th century the buk experienced revival through nationalist cultural movements, postwar preservation by organizations like the National Gugak Center and folk troupes such as Namsadang and modern ensembles led by figures educated at institutions like Korea National University of Arts. Contemporary fusion projects integrate buk with jazz, rock, and global percussion ensembles, appearing at venues including Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, international festivals, and World Heritage programs associated with UNESCO-recognized practices. Craftspeople collaborate with museums such as the National Folk Museum of Korea to document techniques, while teaching initiatives propagate regional styles in conservatories, community centers, and cultural exchanges with groups from Japan, China, and United States.
Category:Korean musical instruments Category:Drums