In this lesson we work on Arirang (아리랑), a traditional Korean song from the guk ak (국악) repertoire.
Korean Fan Dancers | Peter Kun Frary
Arirang Musings
Korea
Located in East Asia, Korea is bordered by China on the north and across the Sea of Japan from Japan. Korea is an ancient civilization, with a rich cultural legacy extending back over four thousand years to the Gojoseon Kingdom (고조선). Westerners often view Korea through the recent lens of technology products and K-pop and, thus, are surprised to discover traditional Korean art and music not only existing, but prospering.
Naksansa (낙산사) Temple Eave | Peter Kun Frary
Arirang (아리랑)
The Korean folk song, Arirang (아리랑), is over six hundred years and is often considered to be the unofficial anthem of Korea. It is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. According to Korean folklore, Arirang is based on a story about a young man and woman smitten with love while picking camellia blossoms near the wharf at Auraji (아우라지). The lyrics translate as:
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
You are going over Arirang hill.
Your feet will be sore before you go ten ri (5 km).
Just as there are many stars in the clear sky,
There are also many dreams in our heart.
There, over there, that mountain is Baekdu Mountain,
Where, even in the middle of winter days, flowers bloom.
Arirang was passed down orally for centuries, and, thus, exists in endless variations. Musicians frequently improvise ornamentation (fast decorative notes) to show off their skill and enhance the expressiveness of the song. Our version is stripped down to bare essentials. Nevertheless, the melody is still hauntingly beautiful in unadorned form.
Study Tips
Melody
Arirang's melody is cast in triple meter and based on the major pentatonic scale, a five note scale consisting of F, G, A, C and D. The short cascading scales across three strings are somewhat challenging and may require spot practicing.
Practice slowly so you can master moving the picking hand accurately across the first, second and third strings. If you're using fingerstyle technique, be sure to alternate between the middle and index fingers.
Listen to the Track
Before practicing, listen to the track so you can absorb the feel of Arirang.
Arirang (아리랑) | Peter Kun Frary, ʻukulele
Play the Melody Now!
Practice the melody of Arirang until smooth and aligned with the beat. Read the music—don't just copy the finger movements in the video. Play along with the audio track or video to help shore up your rhythm.
Once the melody of Arirang flows smoothly, begin working on the chords.
Chords
The chords have been used in prior pieces in this textbook and you should find them relatively easy. My audio recording uses Simple Strum 3/4—a down strum once every three beats.
Simple Strum 3/4 | Strum once every three beats
If you prefer a more active strum, the Flat-Three Strum—three gentle quarter note strums per measure—also works well (see video for demonstration).
However, if you crave gentle sophistication, the triple meter feel of this song sparkles with the P-i-m-a-m-i arpeggio we learned for Cuckoo (see video for demonstration).
You can mix P-i-m-a-m-i with strums if you're feeling both creative and agile.
Arirang (아리랑) Melody and Chord Demonstration | Professor Peter
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Arirang Musings
Korea
Arirang (
Study Tips
Melody
Listen to the Track
Play the Melody Now!
Chords
Daily Review
