The danso (단소 in Korean, sometimes spelled tanso in English) is a short vertical flute from Korea. This end-blown flute is known for its pure and sweet tone, as well as a two-octave range. The Korean word "dan" (단) translates to short, while "so" (소) means pipe/flute – a fitting name for this small but mightly wind instrument!
The danso is an incredibly versatile instrument, much like the human voice itself. Similar end-blown flutes such as the quena from Peru and the shakuhachi from Japan share certain tonal qualities (listen to a side-by-side comparison with the danso and xiao here). Masterful players of the Korean danso can use vibrato and create subtle variation of pitch (even microtones) through breath control, embouchure, as well as finger placement.
The soft and expressive tones of the danso are especially sought-after in smaller intimate performances of court music as well as folk music. One popular folk song focused around loss and abandonment – Arirang – has a meloncholy yet hopefuly melody, brought to life by the evocative tonal nuance of the danso (listen a masterful solo performance of this folk song on the danso here).
Danso History in Korea
Strangely, there is no record for the danso in the Akhak kwebŏm (Korean: 악학궤범; Hanja: 樂學軌範). Literally translating to musical canon, these nine hand-written volumes contain descriptions and illustrations of Korean instruments of the 15th century (the Joseon Dynasty). While the danso is said to date back to the end of the Joseon dynasty, it is hard to know the origins without a written record. There is ample evidence that end-blown flutes have existed since the Paleolithic era, with some of the earliest examples being bone flutes (which we discussed in our article on whistle history here)
Some hints as to the danso's origin can be found through a study of the instrument's family history. A close relative of the danso is the tungso (퉁소), a slightly longer end-blown flute. Unlike the smaller danso, the tungso features a buzzing membrane (read more on this here). The tungso has been in Korea at least since the Goryeo Dynasty. The tungso likely has a common ancestor with the southern Chinese xiao flute (listen to more about this here)...
It is possible that the danso could be a simplification of the tungso (which is related to the Chinese xiao). Others say the danso made its way from China to Korea during the reign of King Sunjo (1567-1608), pointing to the resemblance of the names duanxiao and danso. However, it does not seem incredibly far-fetched that two similar instruments might independently arise with that same, highly-descriptive name – "short flute" – and without proper documentation, it's hard to say with any certainty which came first.
Whatever its origin, the danso has clearly found its way into the Korean court and folk music traditions. Buddhist practices in Korea became increasingly marginalized with the advent of Confuscianism, but regained a foothold as restrictions were dropped during the decline of the Joseon Dynasty (read more on this here). As the danso entered the scene, it found a place in court music based on Buddhist chant. One example is a eight-movement piece, Yeongsan hoesang, depicting a sermon Buddha gave at the base of the Yeongsan mountain (click to listen to this piece performed by a Korean ensemble).
How to Play the Danso
The danso is played by holding the notched blowing end to the lower lip at a 45 degree angle, such that the U-shaped notch is horizontal and the flute is vertical. The danso has only 5 holes, designed for a pentatonic scale of approximately two octaves (G4 to G6). The left hand rests on top, with a thumb and two fingers covering the top holes, while the right hand covers the last two holes.
The pentatonic scale in Jeongganbo (정간보; the traditional notation system for Korean court and classical music) consists of jung, im, mu, hang, & tae (more details in this video). The note names in Western musical notation span 2 octaves of G, A, B, C, D, E, F, & G (danso fingering chart here).
While it may be tempting to purse the lips and make a "Pffffpft!" sound, the more effective strategy is to flatten the top lip and create a focused stream of air against the edge of the mouthpiece, much as you would with a transverse flute. The lips should be firm but not tight, and you will know a good tone when you hear it! Practicing every day is a great way to build up the muscles and improve tone over time, so don't be discouraged if it's a bit tricky at first...
Materials and Danso Production
While the danso is traditionally made exclusively of bamboo, many of the dansos you see today are made of plastic. This allows them to be produced en masse, to keep up with popular demand. Since children sometimes aren’t the most careful with their belongings, it helps that plastic is a bit more durable and affordable to replace!
While recorders are used in musical education in the Western world, the danso is more commonly played in Korean classrooms (more on this here). Just as the recorder is considered a gateway instrument to other woodwinds, so too is the danso considered a useful starting point before moving on to other wind instruments, such as the daegeum, a classical side-blown flute in Korea.
Cheaper plastic dansos have improved resistance to humidity and temperature fluctuation, which can cause wood to change shape and sometimes crack. Historically, the best danso are fashioned from a stalk of ojuk, a dark bamboo known for deep and resonant tone quality (as you would hear in formal and ceremonial settings). These high-quality bamboo flutes typically feature a cononical bore that gets narrower from notched blowing end to the root bulb flare at the base. There also exist some rare examples of Okdanso (Jade danso) which are ceremonial and primarily decorative (click to read more about danso materials here).
With most bamboo danso, you'll see regularly-spaced rings of plastic string, used to improve durability and prevent cracking along the length of the instrument (read more about danso construction here). Student models are less likely to have a prominent root bulb flare that you see in the professional models, and are more likely to be made of hwangjuk (yellow bamboo).
Bamboo dansos are subjected to rigorous heat-treatment during production, to straighten and harden the instrument. This involves blow-torching the wood, bending it, and dousing it in water at turns. Dried pieces of bamboo are then cut down to a length suitable for play. The edges are polished, holes are carefully cut, and the center of the flute is bored out and sanded down. One of the final steps involves cutting the mouthpiece, polishing, and then carefully carving and sanding it. Finally, the danso is wrapped with plastic string at regular intervals to improve the instrument’s resiliance against splitting (watch the full process in this video).
Start Learning Today!
If you're looking to learn to play Korean music, and if you enjoy playing wind instruments, there is no better place to start! The danso is portable, reasonably priced, and relatively easy to learn, with only 5 holes to cover! The clear and pure tones of the danso allow it to blend well with a variety of other instruments, both traditional and modern.