Korean Vocal Techniques

The human voice is perhaps the oldest of all musical instruments and is certainly one of the most versatile. In Korean vocal genres, as in the vocal genres of many cultures, singing techniques range from effects that imitate the sounds of nature to ornaments and verbal notations that mimic other instruments. A singer may actually perform as a musical instrument in an ensemble; indeed, in a technique known as susŏng karak, the voice leads the melody for the instrumental accompaniment...