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It's a kayagum. And I can play kayagum byongchang.
Kayagum byongchang is playing with the voice.
[plays and sings in Korean]
INTERVIEWER: Why did you choose this instrument?
JI HYUN KIM: First time my mother-- [asks ***-Won Kim to translate]
***-WON KIM: First it was her mother's recommendation.
But after learning and learning over and over again,
she got more interested.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): Actually, she has been trained with a grand master of singing,
but normally she tried to get the voice feeling from the stomach,
not only from the neck.
INTERVIEWER: If I could hear your singing all the time,
I'd have a very peaceful life.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): This instrument has twelve strings.
INTERVIEWER: What is the lowest note?
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): She said basically the lowest string
has the lowest tone, but she can move with this bar and make it lower.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): She said it basically depends on the piece.
But also she can control the pitches from moving the bars.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): Basically we use pentatonics, and sometimes we can add other tunes
to add more variety.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): She said when she sings together while playing this instrument,
sometimes the voice has no pitch, but the instrument still keeps the pitch.
[Ji Hyun Kim demonstrates]
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): The most important technique for playing this instrument
is the bending technique with the left hand.
WIthout this bending techniques, we say it doesn't make sense
with this instrument.
JI HYUN KIM: [speaking Korean]
***-WON KIM (translating): Basically this is not a harmonic instrument,
so basically she plays only one on each string, but for making octaves,
she plays two different-- six strings at the same moment.
INTERVIEWER: How common is that?
***-WON KIM (translating): It's traditional, but not so often.
INTERVIEWER: So usually, just one note.
[Ji Hyun Kim plays]