Learn Samulnori with Dulsori

Don’t miss a rare chance to learn and experience the fun you can have playing samulnori percussion. Over the past few years Korean percussion group Dulsori have had a regular slot in the SOAS music summer school teaching percussion for a week. This year they’ve gone independent, and will be giving weekly classes over an eight-week period. Having so much fun for so little money shouldn’t be allowed, and I’m surprised there isn’t a law against it.

Eight weekly classes of an hour each, plus some homework (you need to get those rhythms into your head for the performance). The SOAS classes were all packed in to one week: you can read all about how they went here.

Dulsori Drum

Korean Samulnori Workshop Class
Unique Drumming School

• Date: Every Friday 5:40~6:40pm / from 4 September to 23 October
• Venue: St. Nicolas Community Hall, 34 Robin Hood Lane, Sutton, SM1 2RG [Map]
• Instructor’s name : Jeunghyun CHOI
• Instructor’s email address : [email protected]
• Instructor’s contact number : 07981 298638

Dulsori (literally ‘Wild beat’) aims to preserve and promote Korean traditional Art forms in a contemporary context. This energetic and passionate troupe has staged hundreds of international performances around the world. Dulsori also conducts workshops and classes on Korean traditional arts and are open to all age groups.

Dulsori has several sorts of workshop program to let people get to know Korean tradition and have fun with it. One of the most famous workshop programs is ‘Samulnori’ which teaches very basic rhythms using four Korean traditional instruments played by farmers in the countryside. The instruments are called ‘Jing’, ‘Kkwangwari’, ‘Buk’ and ‘Jang-gu’.

The contents of this course are the Samulnori basic course and an intensive course for students who want to learn in-depth Samulnori. Apart from the basic course, this course teaches more complicated rhythm and skill with where to breathe while playing. Learn the rhythm and culture of Korea with full passion and energy, and experience a new sense of togetherness! You will find yourself smiling to your new friends with exhilaration and joy.

Here’s the syllabus:

Dates	Topic	Assignments
Week 1	Introducing four kinds of percussive instruments from Korea Listening to each sound and learning how to play : the way to hold the stick and the pose Learn more detailed rhythm of Jang-gu Learning a greeting rhythm which is going to be played at the first and the end of the class	Memorize each part of the instrument ‘Janggu’.
Week 2	Review the rhythm learned last week and learn a new rhythm called ‘Jajinmori’ Learn how to do ‘ipjangdan’ which mimic the sound of rhythm Move your body playing Janggu	Bear the rhythm what you learnt during the class in mind try to say it smoothly
Week 3	Learn a new rhythm called ‘Semachi’ What is Chuimsae? Guess and learn. * Chuimsae is decorative melodic skill and technique to elate the atmosphere	Create your own Chuimsae
Week 4	Learn a Korean traditional song ‘Arirang’ with the Semachi rhythm How to play ‘Obangjin’	Memorize ‘Arirang’ rhythm and lyrics
Week 5	Review the rhythm which learnt last week Learn ‘Whimori 1’	Practice Whimori rhythm with your hands
Week 6	Play ‘Ipjangdan game’ : Get around the circle with ipjangdan Learn ‘Whimori 2’	Play the Ipjangdan game with your friends
Week 7	Learn ‘whimori 3’	Memorize all the rhythms you’ve learnt by now
Week 8	Review what you’ve learnt by now Play all the rhythm from the first to the end Present it in front of the audience

Links:

• Dulsori website
• Dulsori’s gig calendar (you can also listen to some audio tracks on this site).
• The 2006 Dulsori classes at SOAS