Old kayagum

[janamaffet]

Hello to all

I havent been there very long time. I have a question for kayagum players or even for all who play any kind of harp or zither-like instrument.

Week ago I met friend and as we are both harpists, we had been discussing harp strings. I pointed out that I felt in love with sound of guqin with silk strings and than we both started to discuss posibility of silk strings on harp (some harps in 17-18 century had silk strings). It's for me adventurous idea because I own medieval harp but made of bamboo and can you imagine bamboo harp and with silk strings? Than my friend told me, that I can try to pluck silk string as he has some strange uknown instrument with them.

He left and after while he come back with very old kayagum with 12 strings. I had been in a shock - I would never ever expect such a exotic instrument there. Its age is probably about 30-35 years. I am not able recognize maker or if it is just "toy" instrument or something better and usefull. All wooden parts including bridges are in perfect condition (only covered by dust). But strings are very dark from dirt.
It took me some time to untie all knots and put bridges on (by instinkt as I have no idea how to play kayagum - I have only seen few performances and know how instrument should looks like) and I have been surprised that even with so much dirt and dust and so long time of resting in darkness - it had still nice sound. I have no idea how to tune it. My instinkt says that string should be free and tunning is set by moving of bridge. Is it right? Than I wander - how is possible to keep this instrument correctly tunned during all song, that must be hard. Is correct that tunning is nearly 3 octaves of pentatonic scales?

Friend asked me if I want it, but I dont know. Should I take it, even I have no idea what to do with that? Should I remove old original strings and order new one (I found few on-line shops who sell them) or should I keep original strings and somehow gently wash them (probably stupid idea).

I will probably never play it and it might become only decoration, but I belive that all music instruments have soul and they need to be in a hands of people who will love it and play it. On other hand, if I dont take it, that old forgotten kayagum will return to darkness and dust. And who knows ... maybe with little bit of care I will turn in into usefull instruments and learn at least something short and easy - maybe not korean, but at least something. :-)

What do you think?

regards from Jana

[carol]

Can I see some pictures of the kayagum?
Let me see if the strings are still ok.

[janamaffet]

Hello Carol!

Sadly I had no camera with me and that was so unexpected thing, so I havent been ready for such a surprise. During week or two I will go to visit this friend again and this time I will take camera with me :-) (Or maybe kayagum to home)

[xindi]

Hi there,

don't know much about kayagums, however if you want to tune it, just use a cheap solo chromatic tuner and set it according to the pentatonic scale in whatever key you like.

If you don't intend to play it, then it won't matter whether it's silk strings, or braided silk over steel strings.

Photos would be nice

[janamaffet]

Hello to all,
I finaly visited my friend again and this time I took that kayagum home with me. I did few photos using my "phone" this morning.
Here they are:
maffet.rajce.idnes.cz/Old_kayagum/#celkovy_pohled2.jpg
maffet.rajce.idnes.cz/Old_kayagum/#Obraz0039.jpg
maffet.rajce.idnes.cz/Old_kayagum/#strings.jpg
maffet.rajce.idnes.cz/Old_kayagum/#vnitrek.jpg

I found that there are probably missing some wooden pegs which works like bridge pins on my harp. Hmmm I wonder where to get them or I will make them on my own. It seamed to me that there is something missing when I for the first time have seen instrument and tried to make it playable, but it wasnt possible to tune it and I had no idea why. Now I now why. ... maybe.

Also finish under strings is nearly away and I wander if there was any ... or it was eaten by dust? Who knows. It's still dusty thing. It will need a lot of cleaning and I see it will need really new strings.

[carol]

I believe that's an ajaeng. The strings are too far apart to be a kayagum. Also, kayagum never comes in 10-string.
I don't see anything missing. You just need to tighten the strings and find a bow to play it.

[janamaffet]

Thank you so much. I had no idea about existence of ajaeng, so it surprised me a lot. ;D I can find some bow somewhere (I have seen some small bow for historic fiddles in a music shop close my office and I think I have somewhere some rosin) and I will surely try and also I will try to find more about it on internet.

During weekend I cleaned this instrument a bit and so it looks more pleasant now and today I fasten strings and tuned it. It went fine and final sound was nice (If I think that this silk strings must be over 15 yeas old) :-) I only relised a bit late how that green parts can hurt skin on hand. :-D

And because I have been listening a lot of korean music last few days to catch feeling I felt in love with tune "Spring snow" I cant remove it from my head.

[janamaffet]

Carol ... can I ask few question? You are only one who answer and as person skilled in guzheng you might now that, because it seems to me similar.

1/ Can I leave bridges standing? :-)

2/ I found only kayagum strings on "Sound of Asia" website. Well, they are for 12 string sanjo kayagum - but this is probably only source I can reach from central europe via internet. (I am in Prague) :-) Mine has 10 strings. I am still not sure, what I really have. It has too little strings for kayagum but too much for ajeang. ;D Well, I hope that in set of 12 strings I will be able to find matching strings for mine instrument. Old ones are really years old and are black of dust and as I started to tune them and play, even I wash my hands and try to avoid any sweat - they turn black. Probably because dust is so deep in them. I believe new set will improve sound for 100%

Oh yes ... I tuned that into pentatinc scale like this B D / F# A B D E F# A D ... I skipped one E, because I had been trying to learn "spring snow" by ear and because this instrument has too little strings for melody I help myself this way. :-) Melodic hand goes well, maybe because I play harp and I know how to produce good sound by plucking by bare fingers but I have to find how to bend strings with left hand. I have really big fun with this.

I am now like little child. I bet my friend never imagined that this old forgotten thing can play one day. :-)

[carol]

Yes, you can leave the bridges on.

Yes, there are 10-string ajaeng. From what it looks, the strings are usable. There are probably too much rosin been applied before. I think the 12-string kayagum strings are too thin for the ajaeng. Those strings look thicker.

"Spring Snow" is a 17-string kayagum song. It will be difficult to play on a 10-string. I've been playing the song on my Scarlet Bird kayagum (I put kayagum strings on a Scarlet Bird guzheng), and it works well.

[janamaffet]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :-)

I am sorry for such a questions, but I am just discovering new world and I try to learn from internet sources, but most valuable thing is experience of person who knows that instrument. ;D

I already have bow and rosin ready to use, but I wait until I will be alone at home. My family has no understanding for my musical adventures and I have even limited time to practise on my harp, which is at least somehow accepted by family.

I tried that melody because I love it and I cant remove it from my head and also I had no patience to wait until family leave and I had to at least tune instrument and pluck strings ;D. I am crazy - when I see anything with strings, I go mad and I have to pluck it and find how it works.

I dont have sheet music, only recording of mr. Hwang and I slowly step by step catch it by ear and rearrange it for my harp and even I cant produce that typical kayagum or guzheng sound, it still sound nice. I dont expect to play it in front of any audience as they expect from me mostly celtic or western medieval music. Eastern music is my secret passion.

Thank you again. :-)

[kyokuhon]

Jana,
If you still want to put silk strings on your harp, contact Alexander Rakov at [e-mail]. He makes silk strings for European-style instruments.
Best of luck,
K.

[janamaffet]

Feb 20, 2011 5:45:42 GMT kyokuhon said:

Jana,
If you still want to put silk strings on your harp, contact Alexander Rakov

Thank you so much,
yes, I am still interested in silk strings. I know about Alexander Rakov. I found him via www.silkqin.com and I have been reading his articles abou silk string making, but I worry to contact him before I will surely know what I want.
I still cary idea of harp with silk strings in my head but I didnt talk about it with my friend - harpmaker - because we will need to think about changes in harp's anathomy or material. Harp like that will be very quiet and with low tension.

But during two months I will be in China for a month and I hope I will find some music shop where I can buy some silk string set - best one would be for guqin. (As comparing to kayagum or koto - I have good info about strings diameters - :-))) god bless for this silkqin.com :-) I expect to experiment with this set to find out how it stretch, sounds, works and with this experience I can than write to mr. Rakov, because I will know what I want from him. :-)

thank you :-)

[kyokuhon]

Dear Jana,
Don't worry too much. Alex is very friendly, and LOVES to talk about silk strings!
Best,
K.