Daechwita
Daechwita is a genre of Korean traditional music consisting of military music played by wind and percussion instruments, generally performed while marching or as a static performance.
Instrumentation
Instruments used include nabal, nagak, and taepyeongso, with jing, jabara, Ulla, and yonggo.This style of Korean military music is often used in the reenactment of the Guard Changing Ceremony at Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as in Deoksugung Palace. Special daechwitas today is under the service of the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and the Traditional Guard Unit, 3rd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea Army, and are the only ones that also has the Ulla, Pungmul-buk and Galgo in its instrumentation.
This is the same case for traditional Korean bands outside the homeland, which also have a pungmul marching percussion battery at the rear with distinguishing uniforms between the two ensembles. Few modern bands based in schools sport bass drums together with the kwaennggwari, galgo and janggu, as well as the daegeum flute, as part of their instrumentation.
Uniforms in the band are in royal gold or red and white, as these were connected in the Imperial period to the Imperial family and the armed forces of the Korean Empire. Most bandsmen in ensembles today wear the royal gold full dress.
The Bandmaster of the ensemble, called a deungchae, carries a long baton to direct the ensemble during performances.
Today, the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and Traditional Honor Guards participate in official welcome ceremonies for foreign heads of state and in other state or special events, with the band playing daechwita and the honor guards carrying out ceremonial duties.