Play Traditional Korean Haegeum & Gayageum Online in 60FPS 3D

Q: What is a Haegeum and how does it differ from a Western violin?

The Haegeum is a traditional Korean two-string vertical fiddle with a hollow wooden soundbox and a bamboo neck. Unlike a Western violin which rests under the chin and uses a friction-tight bow, the Haegeum is held vertically in the player's lap, and the horsehair bow is permanently threaded between the two silk strings, requiring the player to push and pull the bow against each string individually for its signature soaring, vocal timbre.

The Soul of Korean Music: Understanding the Haegeum & Gayageum

Traditional Korean music (Gugak) possesses a profoundly expressive, breathing vocal quality rooted in philosophy and nature. At the forefront of this tradition is the Haegeum (해금), a two-string vertical fiddle with a hollow wooden soundbox and a bamboo neck. Unlike a Western violin which is held under the chin with a detachable bow, the Haegeum is held vertically in the player's lap, and the horsehair bow is permanently threaded between the two silk strings.

Alongside the Haegeum is the Gayageum (가야금), a majestic 12-string zither featuring movable bridge arches (Anjok) that allow players to press and vibrate the strings to produce the signature weeping vibrato known as Nonghyeon (농현).

Mastering Nonghyeon Vibrato & Silk-String Bowing Techniques

The emotional depth of Korean string music relies on unique left- and right-hand techniques that you can experiment with in the 3D studio above:

Bowing Both Strings (Haegeum): Because the horsehair bow is threaded between the inner and outer strings, pushing outward bows the inner string while pulling inward bows the outer string.
Nonghyeon (농현 — Playing with Strings): Pressing and shaking the string behind or directly on the bridge to create undulating pitch bends that emulate human sighs and weeping vocalizations.

Korean Traditional Instruments & Masterpiece Repertoire Reference Table

Instrument / Melody	Tuning / Scale	Construction & Materials	Cultural Significance & Repertoire
Haegeum (해금 • 2-String Fiddle)	D4 – A4 (Two Silk Strings)	Bamboo Neck + Hollow Wooden Soundbox + Horsehair Bow	Soaring, vocal melodic lead in Sanjo and Court music
Gayageum (가야금 • 12-String Zither)	Pentatonic (D–E–G–A–B Tuning)	Paulownia Wood Body + 12 Movable Anjok Bridges	Masterpiece zither for court suites and folk Sanjo
Arirang (아리랑)	Korean Pentatonic Scale	Traditional Folk Anthem	UNESCO intangible cultural heritage symbol of Korea
Doraji-Taryeong (도라지타령)	Gyeonggi Folk Pentatonic	Bellflower Folk Song	Lively, joyful farming folk song celebrating mountain roots

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I play the online Korean Haegeum and Gayageum instruments on this page?

Click or drag your finger/mouse across the 3D strings, tap the pentatonic note pads, or use your computer keyboard keys (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L). You can switch between the Haegeum vertical fiddle and the Gayageum zither, adjust the Nonghyeon vibrato slider, or press any built-in traditional melody to watch and hear the strings play automatically.

What is the fullscreen behavior on mobile and desktop?

Clicking ⛶ Fullscreen will expand the 3D canvas viewport to fill 100% of your screen width and height (100vw by 100dvh) with a floating ✕ Exit Fullscreen button and compact controls, giving you an immersive performance view.

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HanStrings: Traditional Korean Haegeum Fiddle & Gayageum Zither Studio

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