ABSTRACT
Bak 박 (拍), the Korean beat, is the etymon of bakja 박자 (拍子), the rhythm as we know it. The basic tenet of beat in Korean traditional music (“Korean music” hereafter) differs from the metre-based rhythm of modern Korean music. The beat in Korean music exudes the feel of natural breathing more than metronomic precision. As a verb, bakda 박다 means to “stitch,” “nail,” “stud,” “embed” or “dot.” Despite major changes to the national culture of popular music due to modernization, elements of indigenous Korean rhythm persist, for instance, with bak creating images of repetitive stitching or banging. Bak also refers to a distinct instrumentation essential to traditional court orchestral music, or jeongak 정악. In this genre, bak starts with the whacking sound of a six-piece wooden clapper cuing the start and end of performance. From beginning to end, the jipbak 집박 (lit. “bak holder”), comparable to a conductor, holds a stationary standing posture to the left of the orchestral seat on the ceremonial rush mat. His awe-inspiring minimalist presence is that of a ritual master, distinct from kinetically active conductorship. The single sharp sound of bak summons consciousness like that of a bamboo clapper at the start and finish of zen meditation practice.
