ABSTRACT
In Chapters 3 and 4, I document the developmental processes I have followed in order to create an improvisational vocabulary for the drumset grounded in Korean rhythmic resources. This ongoing project, which may be summarized as the “Koreanization” of the drumset features several key goals, involving:
• the development of an improvisational language for the drumset based on Korean rhythmic materials malleable to a wide range of musical contexts;
• the development of a Korean-inspired approach to basic stick technique, incorporating Korean conceptions of hoe hup and the removal of physical tension during performance;
• the development of a system of four-way drumset creative coordination based on rhythmic models and organizational principles found in the music of SamulNori and East Coast ritual music;
• the creation of a series of “Koreanized” rudiments for the drumset, featuring stick pattern variations found in the music of SamulNori and ritual music from Korea’s East Coast;
• the development of several “extended techniques” derived from stick control techniques found in Korea, including East Coast triple-strokes performed on the bass drum with a foot pedal, and the performance of yŏlch’ae techniques such as the flam-stroke (kidŏk), and ruff-stroke (ku-rugung) with Western drumsticks;
• the adaptation of Korean SamulNori rhythmic motifs and rhythmic forms associated with p’ansori to the drumset;
• the adaptation of East Coast ritual rhythms to the drumset; and • the realization, through the use of Korean rhythmic resources, of several
improvisatory processes, namely archetypal streaming, and the creation of concurrent pulse streams.
