A Study of“Jeongseon Arirang” by Min-Hyeong Lee: Elements of Korean Traditional Folk Music

"4 This characteristic of the Korean people led to a movement of Nationalism, which produced music for the purpose of enhancing independence and love for the country.5 Many composers have been encouraged to use traditional Korean music as a basis for their compositions in order to promote nationalistic ideals. Because "Arirang" was transmitted orally, its origins are uncertain.7 Different versions of the song were sung in different regions of Korea, including Seoul, Jindo, Miryang, Jeongseon, Kyungki, Haeju, and others. Menari Jo (Mode) is a traditional pitch collection native to the Jeongseon region, which did not have many cultural exchanges with other regions due to its isolated and mountainous geographical terrain.12 This mode influences both the melodic and harmonic structure of the folk song. Korean traditional music is constructed on groupings of unequal pulses called Jang-dan, which means "long and short." Because the folk song tradition in Korea was transmitted orally, transcription does not necessarily reflect the proper performance practices.