Minyo

Minyo 민요. A folk-song practice that explores themes reflecting the lifestyles of its practitioners. It relates directly to emotions, such as a sense of nostalgia and resignation denoted by the concept of han. A good example is Korea's most popular song, Arirang. Minyo is considered to have five broad stylistic variants, which are based on their regional origin: Gyeonggi, Namdo, Seodo, Dongbu, and Jeju. Each style is defined by certain scales and modes, as well as a characteristic vocal projection in which vibrato fulfils an important expressive role. The most used instruments include: the janggu, sogo, hyangpiri, daegeum and gayageum.