Opening remarks
Recommendation

PART 1
Misconceptions and truths about Korean traditional music

01 Is all traditional Korean music slow?
02 Does Korean traditional music only use Jeongganbo?
03 Is Han the lifeblood of Korean traditional music?
04 Do I have to wear hanbok to perform traditional Korean music?
05 Was Korean traditional music created during the Joseon Dynasty?

PART 2
If you know just this much, you'll be a master of Korean traditional music.

06 Korean traditional music genres in everyday life
07 The sounds of traditional Korean instruments that resemble the sounds of nature
08 Digging into the History of Korean Traditional Music
09 Various musical scores from the Joseon Dynasty
The #1 Music Theory Book: Akhak Gwebeom
11 The couple's 'geumseul' is the name of a musical instrument
12. Examining Korean traditional music in paintings
13 All-round Genius Musician, King Sejong
14 Traditional Korean Music on the Subway
15 A journey through traditional Korean music following the signposts
16 Korean Traditional Music in Film
17 Who are the three major evils?
18 The three major bass players of the national musical instrument
19 The Tale of Manpasikjeok, the Wave that Calms the Sea
About the 20 Five Madangs of Pansori

PART 3
Secrets Hidden in Korean Traditional Music

21 Hidden Stories of [Yeominrak] Enjoyed with the People
22 Why the Seven Madangs of Pansori Disappeared
23 [Arirang] sung without knowing its meaning or origin
24 [Yeongsanhoesang] by people who know a thing or two about fashion
25 Samulnori, surprising the world with four instruments
26 [Jongmyo Jeryeak] Summoning Ghosts
27 [Bayer] and [Dodri] of the Korean traditional music world
28 Buddha Handsome, Beompae's Hipness
29 Songs in a Cloudy Memory
30 Sinawi connects with jazz
31 Handmade fabrics that surpass the sophistication of this world
32 Folk songs containing the joys and sorrows of our ancestors
33 New Korean Wave, [Daechwita]
34 Pungmulnori is the best for harmony
35 Japga is a 19th century K-POP
36 Sanjo is the best solo music that gathers scattered melodies.

PART 4
Some knowledge about Korean traditional music that would be better if you knew it

Asking 37,500 People About Korean Traditional Music
38 What is crossover Korean traditional music?
39 Banggu-seok Traditional Korean Music Playlist
40 The Last Book to Read Instruction Manual

Source of the illustration
References

“Reading Korean traditional music humanities in 40 topics that you can understand and listen to right away!”

It was a coincidence that the author of this book majored in Korean traditional music.
I entered a traditional Korean music middle school that provided meals at the urging of my mother, who did not want to pack lunch every day, and this led to my involvement in traditional Korean music for over 30 years.
An elementary school student who discovered a good posture for playing the danso and practiced for an hour without opening his mouth went on to study at Seoul National University's Department of Korean Traditional Music, worked as a teacher at the National Gugak High School, and later became a professor at Gyeongin National University of Education.
The author says that he has included in this book all the things he has learned through countless trials and errors while learning and teaching Korean traditional music over a long period of time.
It is 'easy Korean traditional music'.

The author inserted QR codes into the text so that readers can listen and appreciate the story directly, rather than just reading and explaining it.
As you listen to the song along with the explanation, you will find yourself enjoying and understanding the entirety of Korean traditional music.

This book, “First Korean Traditional Music Class,” is divided into four parts.
Part 1 is ‘Misunderstandings and Truths about Korean Traditional Music.’
Keeping in mind the general perception of Korean traditional music, I will explain in detail some of the things that many people have misconceptions about.
In Western music, the tempo is based on the pulse, but in Korean traditional music, it is based on breathing.
So depending on the song, it can be slow and boring.
However, it explains with several examples that there is music that is just as fast and intense as Western music.
In addition, the notation of Korean traditional music was created by King Sejong, and he himself composed excellent songs such as [Yeominrak], [Botaepyeong], and [Jeongdaeeop].
Traditional Korean music, which has been passed down since before the Joseon Dynasty, became recordable during the reign of King Sejong, and is now continued as creative traditional Korean music notated on staffs.
The author explains that today's Korean traditional music is not unlike Western music, and has been written down in sheet music and has undergone various studies and attempts.
It also explains examples of traditional Korean music performed in a variety of costumes, not just traditional hanbok, and details how traditional Korean music is implemented as a performance and popular music.

Part 2 is 'If you know this much, you will be a master of Korean traditional music.'
It contains various common knowledge related to Korean traditional music in an interesting story.
Creative Korean traditional music, which began actively in the 1980s, is gaining popularity as both contemporary and popular music, with several examples including Leenalchi's [Beom Naeronda], subway music [Pungnyeon], and Yangbaneon's [Frontier], the official theme song of the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
Even traditional Korean music, which we know to be slow, is being used by BTS's Suga by inserting [Daechwita] into his songs.
In contrast, folk music is music created and enjoyed primarily by the common people.
‘Pansori’ is a representative example.


The author introduces most of the instruments used in traditional Korean music and explains in detail their uses, characteristics, and history.
It is organized by explaining our traditional Korean musical instruments, which are similar in shape but each have their own unique characteristics, with pictures.
And it explains the musical scores and their origins that have continued to this day, and shows the history of the development of Korean traditional music at a glance.
In particular, the achievements of King Sejong the Great, a 'musical genius' who possessed absolute pitch and compiled Chinese music into our own unique Hyangak, are also introduced in detail.
You can also learn about Korean traditional music through pictures.
We can also look into the vivid scenes of traditional Korean music recorded in the paintings of Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok, which are familiar to us, and learn about traditional Korean music in historical records through paintings recorded in the royal court.
In addition, we will reexamine the historical accuracy and modern value of Korean traditional music through masterpieces of Korean films such as [Seopyeonje], [Chunhyangjeon], and [Dorihwaga] that deal with traditional Korean music.


Part 3 is ‘Secrets Hidden in Korean Traditional Music’.
We look at various Korean traditional music pieces or genres and tell the stories behind each one.
The story of Korean traditional music becomes more interesting the more you learn about it, covering various fields, including the reason why 7 madang disappeared from Pansori, which originally had 12 madang; the origins and regional differences of [Arirang]; the reason why Samulnori, which was created only a few decades ago, surprised the world; the secret of [Jongmyo Jeryeak], which is more famous overseas than in Korea; the fact that [Dodri], which corresponds to the piano exercise [Bayer], exists in Korean traditional music; and the free-spiritedness of Sinawi, which shares similarities with jazz.

Part 4 is ‘Some knowledge about Korean traditional music that would be better if you knew it.’
The author personally conducted a survey on Korean traditional music among 500 people and examined in detail people's perceptions of Korean traditional music and areas for improvement.
It also contains a detailed playlist that even beginners of Korean traditional music can easily access, making the book worthwhile in and of itself.

Opening remarks

It was quite by chance that I came to major in Korean traditional music.
I entered a traditional Korean music middle school that provided free meals, persuading my mother, who didn't want to pack lunch every day. I never imagined that I would end up pursuing this major for over 30 years.
I started learning Korean traditional music without even knowing the letter 'ㄱ' in Korean traditional music, and although I liked it more than I thought, it was unfamiliar, difficult, and sometimes boring.

Ever since my school days, and even now, my acquaintances are still amazed by my major.
That's understandable, because I still find my major fascinating.
But now it's not unfamiliar.
So, I thought I should play a role in kindly, if somewhat awkwardly, informing people around me about the story of how I gradually became familiar with Korean traditional music, the misunderstandings and truths about it, various information and gossip about it, and what this music means today.

This book was created with the aim of helping the public understand Korean traditional music, which I have finally come to understand through countless trials and errors, in a more accessible way, like a short-term study.
I'm still contemplating the topic of "easy Korean traditional music," and while my writing skills are far from adequate to convey those concerns, I still sincerely wanted to share the story of Korean traditional music with as many people as I can to the best of my knowledge.
I hope that certain stories in the book will resonate deeply or resonate deeply with some people.

The book is largely divided into four parts: ‘Misunderstandings and Truths about Korean Traditional Music’, ‘Master Korean Traditional Music with Just This Much Knowledge’, ‘Secrets Hidden in Korean Traditional Music Songs’, and ‘Some Knowledge About Korean Traditional Music That’s Better to Know’.
First, in Part 1, I approached the common notion that people around me asked me most about Korean traditional music, and talked about some misunderstandings about Korean traditional music and the truth about them.
Part 2 contains the most casual content that can help you develop various common sense related to Korean traditional music, and Part 3 examines various Korean traditional music pieces or genres, attempting to help you approach music in a friendly manner through the behind-the-scenes stories of each.
Finally, Part 4 concludes with a survey on Korean traditional music, stories about crossover Korean traditional music, playlist recommendations, and a book user manual.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to CEO Kim Min-ho of Chobom Bookstore and the publishing company staff for their active involvement in the creation of this book, and for their endless faith and patience whenever the manuscript didn't turn out as well as expected.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the precious people around me who inspired me to write a book with this concept.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the family at Gyeongin National University of Education, who have always been a strong supporter, the family at my former workplace, the National Gugak Middle and High School, the fellow students I studied with, my still-loving wife, Lee Myeong-hee, and my sons, Lee Ye-jun and Lee Ye-chan, who are growing up well and healthy.