Sungha Jung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sungha Jung
Jung in April 2016
Background information
Birth name	Jung Sung-ha
Born	(1996-09-02) 2 September 1996 (age 28) Cheongju, South Korea
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Acoustic guitar
Years active	2006 – present

Sungha Jung (Korean: 정성하; born 2 September 1996) is a talented South Korean musician. He is famous for playing the acoustic guitar using a special technique called fingerstyle guitar. Sungha creates amazing guitar covers of songs and writes his own music. He learns songs by listening carefully or watching videos.

He shares his music online, and his YouTube channel has over 7 million subscribers! Many people call him a "guitar prodigy," meaning he's incredibly gifted. But Sungha prefers to be known simply as a "guitarist."

Who is Sungha Jung?

How Sungha Jung Started Playing Guitar

Sungha Jung at the Musikmesse Frankfurt in 2016

Sungha Jung became interested in the guitar after watching his dad play. He found the guitar much more exciting than the piano, which he was already learning. His father taught him the basics.

After learning the first steps, Sungha improved a lot by trying to play songs he heard. If he got stuck, he would watch online videos to learn more. He discovered the fingerstyle technique when his dad found it on the internet.

Learning Fingerstyle Guitar

Sungha's first big inspiration was a guitarist named Kotaro Oshio. From him, Sungha became very interested in fingerstyle guitar. At first, his mom and grandma thought the guitar playing was just "noise." But soon, they realized it was his special talent.

Sungha Jung's Rise to Fame

A guitarist named Trace Bundy saw a video of Sungha playing his song, "(Pachelbel's) Canon." Sungha was only nine years old then! After seeing his cover, Trace Bundy invited Sungha to play with him on tours in South Korea and the United States.

Soon after his first video went online, many people started supporting him. Sungha even asked them for advice on his playing. His cover of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" theme song became a huge hit. It has over 61 million views on YouTube! This video made Sungha an internet sensation.

He has played on stage with many famous musicians multiple times. Sungha also took guitar lessons from Hata Shuji, a well-known Japanese jazz guitarist. He was also guided by Ulli Bögershausen, a German guitarist. Sungha says Ulli Bögershausen is his musical inspiration. He learned a lot about writing and arranging music from him.

What Instruments Does Sungha Jung Play?

Sungha has played many different types of guitars. These include steel-string and classical guitars. He has also played twelve-string guitars, electric guitars, and even a ukulele. He can also play the guitarlele, harp ukulele, and piano.

Sometimes, he even sings live! For example, he sang "Falling Slowly" at a concert in Bangkok. Besides Korean, Sungha speaks English. He learned English so he could talk with people during his concerts abroad.

Sungha Jung's Guitars

Sungha got his first guitar when he was nine. It was a simple plywood guitar that cost less than $60. When his father saw how good Sungha was with this basic guitar, he bought him a better one. This was a Cort Earth900. Sungha started playing seriously with this guitar.

His third guitar was a special custom-made "All Spruce" Selma model. In 2009, with help from Ulli Bögershausen, he got a sponsorship from Lakewood Guitars. Now, he mostly plays Lakewood Signature Model guitars. Sungha often uses baritone guitars. These guitars have a longer neck, thicker strings, and a deeper sound than regular guitars.

How Sungha Jung Practices

When Sungha was a child and had school, he practiced for one to two hours daily. During school breaks, he would practice for up to three hours. He usually figures out the notes and finger positions for a song very quickly. It typically takes him a few hours to practice a song before he can cover it. However, to make his songs sound even better and more accurate, he sometimes spends days or even a month practicing.

Sungha Jung's Performances and Collaborations

Sungha Jung has performed with many different artists. In 2010, he was featured on Narsha's solo album NARSHA for the song "I'm in Love." In 2011, he performed in the US with Trace Bundy. He also toured in Scandinavia and Japan.

In 2012, he worked with the K-pop group 2NE1. He created acoustic versions of their hit songs "Lonely" and "I Love You." Later in 2012, he performed live with G-Dragon from BIGBANG, playing "That XX." In 2013, he performed "I'm Yours" with Jason Mraz. Jason Mraz called Sungha "amazing" and his "hero."

Sungha Jung's Albums

Sungha Jung has released many albums with his amazing guitar music.

• His first album, Perfect Blue, came out on 17 June 2010.
• His second album, Irony, was released on 21 September 2011.
• His third solo album, Paint It Acoustic, came out on 15 April 2013.
• These first three albums were recorded in Germany. Each album had more and more of his own original songs.
• Sungha also recorded an album with guitar duets called The Duets, released on 17 December 2012.

• Sungha's fourth solo album, Monologue, was released on 28 April 2014. This album mostly had his own original songs. It was recorded in Seoul, South Korea, and Sungha produced it himself.
• His fifth solo album, Two of Me, came out on 1 May 2015. This album was entirely made up of his own original music.
• L'Atelier, his sixth solo album, was released on 13 May 2016. It has nine original songs and one original arrangement.

• Sungha released Mixtape on 12 May 2017. He described it as a mix of different music styles that have influenced him a lot.

Discography: Sungha Jung's Albums List

• Perfect Blue (2010)
• Irony (2011)
• The Duets (2012)
• Paint It Acoustic (2013)
• Monologue (2014)
• Two of Me (2015)
• L'Atelier (2016)
• Mixtape (2017)
• Andante (2018)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 1 (2019)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 2 (2019)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 3 (2019)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 4 (2019)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 5 (2019)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 6 (2021)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 7 (2021)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 8 (2021)
• Sungha Jung Cover Compilation 9 (2021)
• Poetry (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Sungha Jung para niños