Saint Jerome Academy

Piccio, St., Dueñas, Iloilo

MAPEH 8 LEARNING MODULE

(Aligned with the 2020 MELC for the “New Normal”)

Lessons and Coverage:

Lesson 1 – Music of China
Lesson 2 – Music of Japan
Lesson 3 – Music of Korea

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 Lesson 1
Music of China

Pre-assessment
Find out how much you already know about this lesson.
A. Put a check across the instruments from China.
6. Hne
1. Pipa 7. Guan
2. Bonang 8. Bolang gu
3. Thon 9. Suona
4. Khim 10. Muyu
5. Sheng

B. Write True or False in the space provided.

1. Ancient Chinese believed that music is meant to purify one’s soul.
2.Classical Chinese instrumental music was said to be a delicate and refined expression
of human emotion.
3. Chinese music uses a two-tone scale.
4. Chinese instruments are traditionally divided into categories based on their material
of composition.
5. Classical Chinese music was understood to be music that harmonizes with nature
and was intended for personal spiritual development.

Access and Process

The Chinese culture has been dominated by the teachings of Confucius who said that music is a
means of calming the passions and removing unrest and lust. Ancient Chinese believed that music is
meant to purify one’s thoughts.
Classical Chinese music was understood to be music that harmonizes with nature and was intended
for personal spiritual development. Its sound reflects the tonal quality of the Chinese language. Classical
Chinese instrumental music was said to be a delicate and refined expression of human emotion.

Classical Chinese music has different styles. These include the following:
1. Yayue – a style of elegant ceremonial and court music popular in the Zhou Dynasty played
by orchestras with numerous musicians. It was used in rituals and ceremonial and
military proceedings. Its style is highly percussive with the wind instruments playing
the melody.
2. Literati – a style of Chinese classical music performed by a single instrument or small
ensemble in people’s homes or small public gatherings at tea houses. Its style of music
was often played in the courtly and imperial communities and monasteries while a
diverse collection of folk music was created in the provinces.

Here are the characteristics of the elements of Chinese music.

 Musical elements Characteristics
Rhythm Uses duple rhythm
Timbre Vocal – high pitched, thin, non-resonant, nasal or in falsetto
Texture Vocal – solo or monophonic
Instrumental – heterophonic and played with more
instruments
Melody Based on the pentatonic scale

Chinese music uses a five-tone scale (wu-sheng) connected to each of the five elements of nature
—earth, wood, water, fire, and water. Chinese instruments are traditionally divided into categories
based on their material of composition: skin ( bolang gu and banggu); gourd (sheng and zheng); bamboo
(dizi and guan); wood (pengling and muyu), silk (pipa and ruan); earth/clay (ocarina); metal (yun-lo,
bo, po-chung, suona); and stone (bianqing).
Chinese vocal music is traditionally sung in a thin falsetto and is usually solo than choral. It
probably developed from poems and verses accompanied to music. To the Chinese, music has a
practical use in their lives. It is used in teaching, in giving guidelines for behavior in society, and in
giving power to the government. Music is also used to arrive at an agreement and cooperation in
society.

Activity 1 Activity 2
Listen to a performance of a Chinese Instructions:
classical literati music on YouTube entitled 1. Make a portfolio about the different
High Mountains, Flowing Water. Write your Chinese musical instruments.
feelings about it in two to three sentences.
2. Put your work in a short bond paper.

Post-assessment
It is now time to evaluate your learning at the end of the lesson.
Classify the following instruments. Write them in the table where they belong.
Ruan Guan Bangu Pengling Yun-lo
Muyu Bolang gu Dizi Pipa Bo
Suona Zheng Po-chung Sheng Bianqing

Bamboo Silk Wood Metal Skin Gourd Stone

Lesson 2
Music of Japan

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Pre-assessment

Find out how much you already know about this lesson.
A. Write True or False in the space provided.
1. Traditional Japanese music is meditative in character.
2. Japanese music represents natural sounds.
3. Shomyo is Japan’s oldest court music.
4. Kangen is an orchestral music and instrumental ensemble
that accompanies the dance in Bugaku.
5. Sankyoku ensemble is composed of the koto, shamisen and
shakuchi.
6. Traditional Japanese instruments include chordophones
only.
7. Gagaku is a ritual Buddhist sung by a group of monks.
8. Japanese music features sparse rhythm.
9. Traditional Japanese music represents the sounds of life
through the use of percussion only.
10. Japanese music features the absence of regular chords.

B. Put a check across the instruments from Japan.

1. Biwa
2. Gitgit
3. Aruding
4. Kakko
5. Shoko

Access and Process

Traditional Japanese music is rich and varied with most of its musical forms imported from
China and adapted into Japanese styles.
Traditional Japanese music is meditative in character with highly ritualized performances
similar to the other Japanese forms such as the tea ceremony and calligraphy. Their music represents
natural sounds and the sounds of life through the use of percussion, wind, and stringed instruments.
It features sparse rhythm and the absence of regular chords. All of the rhythms are interval-based
and silence is an important part of the songs.
The forms of traditional Japanese music include the following:
1. Shomyo (Buddhist chants) – ritual Buddhist music sung by a group of monks
2. Gagaku (theatrical court music) – considered as the oldest surviving court
music in some shrines and temples. Gagaku music has two styles: Kigaku
 (instrumental music) and Seigaku (vocal music).
Here are the characteristics of the elements of Japanese music.
Musical elements Characteristics
Rhythm Based on ma (Japanese interval)
Starts slow, fast, then slow with a drown ending; uses
duple meter
Timbre Vocal – sung in high-throated and melismatic manner
Harmony and Texture Monophonic
Melody Based on the pentatonic scale
Form Often follows a three-part form called jo-ha-kyu

Traditional Japanese instruments include chordophones (shamisen, koto, and

biwa); aerophones (shakuhachi, ryuteki, and hichiriki); membranophones (taiko,
kakko, and kotsuzumi), and idiophones (tsuri-daiko, shoko and shime-daiko).
Japanese instrumental ensembles include the following:
1. Kangen – orchestral music and instrumental ensemble accompanying the dance
in Bugaku
2. Sankyoku – ensemble composed of the koto (zither), shamisen (lute), and
shakuhachi (flute)

Activity 1
Listen to the Japanese song Tsuki on YouTube. Get a partner and create a simple
rhythmic/harmonic accompaniment to the song.

Activity 2
Sing the popular song Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) using improvised instruments.
Get a partner and sing it in class.

Sakura, Sakura Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms

Noyamamo satomo The fields, mountains, and villages
Miwatasu kagiri as far as can be seen
Kasumika kumoka are covered in a pink haze or clouds
Asahini niou shining beautifully under morning light Sakura,
sakura hanazakari Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Sakura, sakura Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
Yayoino sorawa the sky in March
Miwatasu kagiri as far as can be seen
Kasumika kumoka is covered in a pink haze or clouds
Nioizo izuru with the flowers’ beauty coming out
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 Izaya, izaya miniyukan Let us go to see them.

Activity 3
Make a portfolio about the different Japanese musical instruments. Share it in class.

Post-assessment

It is now time to evaluate your learning at the end of the lesson.

A. Classify the following Japanese musical instruments. Write C for chordophones, A
for aerophones, M for membranophones, and I for idiophones.
1. Shakuhachi
2. Shamisen
3. Koto
4. Hichiriki
5. Kakko
6. Ryuteki
7. Taiko
8. Biwa
9. Kotsuzumi
10. Shoko

B. Identify what is being described in each statement. Write your answer in the space
provided.
1. It is considered as Japan’s oldest surviving court music.
2. It refers to the ritual Buddhist music sung by a group of
monks.
3. It refers to a form of vocal music included in Gagaku.
4. It is an instrumental ensemble composed of zither, lute and
flute.
5. It is the orchestral music and instrumental ensemble
accompanying the dance in Bugaku.
 Lesson 3
Music of Korea

Pre-assessment

Find out how much you already know about this lesson.
A. Write True or False in the space provided.
1. The Chinese greatly influenced Korean music.
2. Like China and Japan, Korea also has its traditional music.
3. K-Pop music is gaining popularity worldwide.
4. The chong-ak has five vocal forms.
5. Sog-ak is a Buddhist song of praise similar to Gregorian chant.
6. Pungmul is an outdoor band ensemble composed of drums, gongs and
taepyongso.
7. Jing is a brass gong used for ceremonial music.
8. Janggu is a wooden drum shaped like an hour glass.
9. Non-ak is a Korean musical instrument.
10. Yanggeum is a hammered dulcimer.

B. Put a check across the instruments from Korea.

1. Tugo
2. P’iri
3. Beberek
4. Gayageum
5. Haegum

Access and Process

Korea is an East Asian country that is currently divided into two separate
countries: the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (North Korea).
Though the Chinese greatly influenced Korean music, the music of these two
regions varies.
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Here are the characteristics of the musical elements of traditional Korean music.
Musical Elements Characteristics
Rhythm Uses triple time signature or group of
three beats where the third beat is accented
Melody Uses pentatonic scale
Harmony and Texture Monophonic texture
Like China and Japan, Korea also has its traditional music which
includes the following:
1. Chong-ak – the music associated with the ruling classes or royal people of Korea
There are two kinds of Chong-ak:
a. Aak – performed inside the palace
b. Min’ganchong-ak – performed outside of the court The
chong-ak has three vocal forms:
1. Kasa – a long narrative song
2. Kagok – a lyrical song
3. Sijo – a short lyrical song and is the simplest of the three vocal forms
Sujech’on is one of the most famous pieces of banquet music. It is the most
popular instrumental composition. It has a slow tempo and an irregular meter and the main
melody is played by the piri (an oboe type instrument). It often claimed to be at least
1,300 years old, which would predate the first compilation of Gregorian chants.
2. Sog-ak – narrates common life experiences which made it popular among the
ordinary people
3. Shaman – This is a Buddhist song performed by a female priest called the
mudang. It is the music of the underclass.
4. Pomp’ae – Buddhist song of praise similar to a Gregorian chant
5. Non-ak – farmer’s song
6. P’ansori – song drama
7. Mimyo – native melody sang by ordinary people with the flow of movement in
three’s and in triple meter
8. Sanjo – solo instrumental song
9. Hyangak – native court banquet music of Korea
Musical Ensembles and Instruments
Korean instrumental ensemble includes the following:
1. Salmunori – It came from the Korean words sa and mul meaning four objects
and nori means to play. It is known as a virtuoso quartet percussion ensemble
consisting of the ching (jing), kwaenggwari, changgu (jang gu), and puk (buk).
The kwaenggwari is a flat gong.
2. Pungmul – It is the outdoor band ensemble composed of drums, gongs, and
taepyongso.
3. Sinawi Ensemble – It is performed improvisationally by a musical ensemble,
and traditionally accompanies the rites of Korean shamanism. This ensemble
includes piri, haegum, janggu, buk, and daegum (large flute).
 The following are some examples of Korean musical instruments.
Chordophones Aerophones Membranophones

Gayageum – a board zither P’iri – a cylindrically-shaped Janggu – a wooden drum

which has a dozen strings bamboo instrument with shaped liked an
with different thickness a double-reed mouth piece
similar to the oboe hourglass

Haegum – a bamboo Taepyongso – a high-pitched Jing – a brass gong used for

instrument with two silk double-reed pipe ceremonial music
strings, played with a bow

Buk – a low-pitched barrel

Hyang-bipa – a Saenghwang – a mouth drum, played with single
five-stringed instrument
organ with 1/ bamboo wooden mallet
played with a pick

Yanggeum – It is a
hammered dulcimer.
Unlike other traditional
Korean instruments,
the yanggeum has metal Choktae – It has six holes. It Bak – It is made from six
strings. is like a flute but looks like pieces of birch wood used
a clarinet. in dances. It is a wooden
clapper used in Korean
court and ritual music.
Though traditional music is being preserved in Korea, Western music has entered and
influenced its people, especially the young ones. This started the K-Pop (Korean Pop) genre.
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 K-Pop generally refers to South Korean popular music which is a fusion of synthesized music,
sharp dance routines, and fashionable and colorful outfits. Songs usually consists of one or a
mixture of pop, rock, hip-hop, R & B, and electronic music. K-Pop music reached not only the
countries in Asia, but worldwide.

Activity 1
Watch a Nanta performance. Nanta is Korea’s first non-verbal percussion
performance that uses the samulnori rhythm created by using ordinary household
items along with the help of active audience participation. Share your thoughts
about their performance.

Activity 2
Listen to a samulnori performance and an Ifugao gangsa performance. Compare
the two performances. Share your thoughts about them in class.

Activity 3
React to a Korean performance of the Tagalog song Ikaw.

Post-assessment

It is now time to evaluate your learning at the end of the lesson.

A. Classify the following Korean musical instruments. Write C for chordophones, A for
aerophones, M for membranophones, and I for idiophones.
1. Janggu
2. Saenghwang 6. Yanggeum
3. Jing 7. P’iri
4. Hyang-bipa 8. Gayageum
5. Bak 9. Choktae
10. Taepyongso
B. Identify what is being described in each statement. Write your answer in the space
provided.
1. It is the music associated with the ruling classes or royal
people of Korea.
2. It is the music of the underclass.
3. It is a native melody sang by ordinary people with the
flow of movement in three’s in triple meter.
4. This ensemble includes piri, haegum, janggu, buk and
daegum.
5. It refers to South Korean popular music which is a
fusion of synthesized music, sharp dance routines, and
fashionable and colorful outfits.
 GLOSSARY
chong-ak – the music associated with the ruling classes or royal people of Korea
gagaku – considered as the oldest surviving court music in some shrines and temples
hyangak – native court banquet music of Korea
literati – a style of Chinese classical music performed by a single instrument or small
ensemble in people’s homes or small public gatherings at tea houses
shaman – music of the underclass
shomyo – ritual Buddhist music sung by a group of monks
yayue – a style of elegant ceremonial and court music popular in the Zhou Dynasty played
by orchestras with numerous musicians

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