Traditional Thai musical instruments

Traditional Thai musical instruments ( _th. เครื่องดนตรีไทย) are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical musics of Thailand. They comprise a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments played by both the Thai majority as well as the nation's ethnic minorities.

In the traditional Thai system of organology, they are classified into four categories, by the action used in playing:

#Blowing ( _th. เป่า), (wind instruments)
#Plucking ( _th. ดีด), (plucked string instruments)
#Bowing ( _th. สี), (bowed string instruments)
#Striking ( _th. ตี), (percussion instruments and hammered dulcimer)

Wind

Flutes

*Khlui (ขลุ่ย) - vertical duct flute made of bamboo, hardwood, or plastic
**Khlui lib (ขลุ่ยหลิบ or ขลุ่ยหลีบ; treble); not commonly used
**Khlui phiang aw (ขลุ่ยเพียงออ; medium)
**Khlui u (ขลุ่ยอู้; bass); not commonly used
*Wot (โหวด) - circular panpipe used in the Isan region of northeast Thailand

Free-reed

*Khaen (แคน) - mouth organ used in the Isan (northeastern) region
*Pi joom (ปี่จุม; called "pi saw" in northern Thailand) - free reed pipe used in the Lanna (northern) region
*Gourd mouth organ - used by the Akha (called "lachi"), Lisu (called "fulu"), and Lahu (called "naw") peoples of the upland regions of northern Thailand
*Jew's harp (called "jong nong" (จ้องหน่อง) in central Thailand and "huen" (หืน) in northeast Thailand) - played primarily among ethnic minorities of northern Thailand, as well as by the people of the Isan region of northeast Thailand

Oboes

*Pi (ปี่) - quadruple- or double-reed oboe
**Pi chawa (ปี่ชวา ) - used to accompany Muay Thai
**Pi klang (ปี่กลาง)
**Pi mon (ปี่มอญ) - large double-reed oboe with detachable metal bell; used for funeral music
**Pi nai (ปี่ใน) - standard leading instrument used in the "piphat" ensemble
**Pi nok (ปี่นอก)

Horns

* Trae (แตร) - metal horn
* Sang (สังข์) - conch shell horn

tring

Bowed

*Saw duang (ซอด้วง) - higher two-string fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music
*Saw sam sai (ซอสามสาย) - three-string spike fiddle with coconut shell body; used in classical music
*Saw u (ซออู้) - lower two-string fiddle with a coconut shell body; used in classical music
*Saw peep (ซอปีบ or ซอปี๊บ) or saw krapawng (ซอกระป๋อง)- two-string fiddles with body made from a metal can; used in the Isan region of northeast Thailand; "saw krapawng" is smaller
*Saw bong (ซอบั้ง) - used in the Isan region of northeast Thailand
*Salaw (สะล้อ) - three-string spike fiddle used in the Lanna region

Plucked

*Grajabpi (กระจับปี่) - ancient fretted lute
*Jakhe (จะเข้) - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings
*Phin (พิณ) - three-stringed lute used in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand
*Phin pia (พิณเพียะ) - chest-resonated stick zither played by the Lanna of northern Thailand
*Seung (ซึง) - plucked lute from the Lanna region of northern Thailand
*Phin hai (พิณไห) or hai song (ไหซอง) - a set of earthenware jars with rubber bands stretched over the open mouths

truck

*Khim (ขิม) - hammered dulcimer

Percussion

Drums

*Taphon (ตะโพน) or "klawng taphon" (กลองตะโพน) - sacred barrel drum; played with the hands and used in the "piphat" ensemble
*Glong thad (กลองทัด) - large drum played with sticks; usually played in a pair and used in the "piphat" ensemble
*Rammana (รำมะนา) - frame drum; played with the hand
*Thon (โทน) - goblet drum; played with the hand
*Glong khaek (กลองแขก) - barrel drum; played with the hands and generally played in pairs
*Glong songna - barrel drum; played with the hands
*Glong yao (กลองยาว) - long drum; played with the hands
*Perng mang kok - set of tuned drums used in the "piphat Mon"
*Glong seng, Glong jing, or Glong tae - large drum played with sticks; generally played in pairs and used in competition in the Isan region of northeast Thailand, particularly by the Phu Thai people

Gong chimes

*Khong wong lek (ฆ้องวงเล็ก) - higher gong circle; comprises many small tuned bossed gongs mounted in a rattan frame
*Khong wong yai (ฆ้องวงใหญ่)- lower gong circle; comprises many small tuned bossed gongs mounted in a rattan frame
*Khong mon (ฆ้องมอญ) - set of many small tuned bossed gongs arranged in vertical curved frame; usually primarily in funeral music
*Khong rang (ฆ้องราง) - set of eight tuned gongs suspended horizontally in a straight frame; similar to the southern Philippine "kulintang"; rare

Keyboard

*Ranad (ระนาด) - trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Thai classical and theater music
**Ranad ek (ระนาดเอก) - higher xylophone, with bars usually made of hardwood
**Ranad thum (ระนาดทุ้ม) - lower xylophone, with bamboo or hardwood bars
**Ranad ek lek (ระนาดเอกเหล็ก) - higher metallophone
**Ranad thum lek (ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก) - lower metallophone
**Ranad kaeo (ระนาดแก้ว) - crystallophone; very rare
*Bong lang (โปงลาง) - pentatonic log xylophone used in the Isan region

Gongs

* Khong chai (ฆ้องชัย), also called "khong hui" (ฆ้องหุ่ย) or "khong mui" (ฆ้องมุ่ย) - huge hanging bossed gong used for indicating time
* Khong mong (ฆ้องโหม่ง) or "mong" (โหม่ง) - medium-sized hanging bossed gong used in Thai ensembles
* Khong meng (ฆ้องเหม่ง) or "khong kratae" (ฆ้องกระแต) - small bossed gong used as a signaling device and in traditional parades with "klawng yao"
* Khong rao (ฆ้องราว) - three bossed gongs (small, medium, and large) suspended vertically in a wooden frame; rare
* Khong khu (ฆ้องคู่) - pair of small bossed gongs suspended horizontally in a wooden box; used in theater music and music of southern Thailand
* Wong khong chai (วงฆ้องชัย) - set of seven large bossed gongs suspended vertically in a circular frame; rare

Clappers

*Krab (กรับ) - clapper
**Krab phuong (กรับพวง) - bundle of hardwood and brass slats, tied together at one end
**Krab sepha (กรับเสภา) - pair of bamboo or hardwood sticks

Cymbals

*Ching (ฉิ่ง) - pair of small, thick cymbals joined by a cord; used to mark time
*Chab (ฉาบ) - pair of flat cymbals joined by a cord
**Chab lek (ฉาบเล็ก) - smaller
**Chab yai (ฉาบใหญ่) - larger

haken bamboo

*Angkalung (อังกะลุง) - set of tuned bamboo tubes mounted in a frame and shaken; generally played by a group

Bronze drums

*Mahorathük (มโหระทึก) - bronze drum; dates back to the Dong Son culture of antiquity and today very rare

Traditional Thai musical instruments also are classified into four categories, by the region of Thailand in which they are used.

Central

*Saw sam sai
*Saw duang
*Saw u
*Jakhe
*Khlui
*Pi
*Ranat ek
*Ranat thum
*Khong wong yai
*Khong wong lek
*Thon rammana
*Glong khaek
*Glong songna [ [http://www.culture.go.th/research/musical/html/en_central.htm :: Thai Folk Musical Instruments :: ] ]

Northeast

*Huen - This drum is shaped like a kind being used in the Puangmangkog set. It is always played with a Piphat ensemble.
*Kaen - The most complete and very popular instrument of this area that has very long history for its development dating back to 2,000 to 3,000 years.
*Wot - a circular panpipe made of 6-9 various lengths of small bamboo pipes (Mai-ruak or Mai-hia, Mai-ku-khan)
*Phin - A type of northeastern lute with a pear-shaped body having flets on the neck and over which two-three
*Pong lang - A type of melodic percussion played by two players with hard stick. Its shape is like a xylophone consisting of 15 wooden bars stringed together
*Jakhe (Kabue) - is one of the importance instrument in Mahori khamen ensemble. It has three strings
*Grajabpi - The Krachappi is a plucked stringed instrument. Its turtle shape sound box is made of jackfruit wood
*Saw kantrum - a bowed string instrument with a wooden soundbox, the head of which is covered with snakeskin.
*Glong kantrum - A kind one faced drum made of hollow wood with skin covering the face and stretched
*Pi salai - a double-reed oboe accompanied with "kantrum" ensemble
*Krab khoo - Krab khoo: A pair of hard wooden bars two pairs made a set, played with both hands as percussion in "Kantrum ensemble". [ [http://www.culture.go.th/research/musical/html/en_northeast.html :: Thai Folk Musical Instruments :: ] ]

North

*Salaw - a bowed fiddle with three strings and a free bow. The resonator is made of coconut shell cut off on one side.
*Sueng - is a plucked string instrument, made of teak or hardwood. A round sound hole is cut on the top soundboard.
*Khlui - The same as the Central Thai "khlui".
*Pi joom (called "pi saw" in northern Thailand) - a free reed pipe made of bamboo, with a single metal reed
*Pi nae - a double reed oboe that resembles the "saranai" or "chani" but larger in size; it is made of wood and usually accompanies the large gong.
*Phin pia - or sometimes simply called "pia" or "phia". The body is made from a coconut shell.
*Glong teng thing - Klong Teng-thing is a two faced tabular drum and used as one of percussive instrument.
*Ta lod pod - or Ma-lod-pod is a two-faced tubular drum of 100 centimeters long.
*Glong ting nong - The biggest and longest drum with onc face made of hide about 3-4 metres long.
*Glong sa bad chai - The most famous drum in northern, hanging on the double wooden bars carried by men [ [http://www.culture.go.th/research/musical/html/en_north.htm :: Thai Folk Musical Instruments :: ] ]

South

*Thap - The goblet-shaped drum used for providing the changes of rhythm and also for supporting rhythm of the Nora (Southern dance drama).
*Glong nora - Klong nora or Klong nang: a barred-shaped drum used for accompany the Nora dance or the Nang talung (Shadow puppet) performance
*Mong ching - Mong and Ching: two important percussion instruments used fo accompanying the "Nora" dance (dance drama) and the "Nang talung" (shadow peppet) performance.
*Khong khu - pair of small bossed gongs suspended horizontally in a wooden box; used in theater music and music of southern Thailand
*Pi - a quadruple-reed oboe type with six finger holes producing at least three octaves of pitches range.
*Trae rapoung - Trae phuang or Krab phung: a percussion used to provide rhythmic punctuation of the Nora ensemble. [ [http://www.culture.go.th/research/musical/html/en_south.html :: Thai Folk Musical Instruments :: ] ]

External links

* [http://www.istov.de/htmls/thailand/thailand_start.html The traditional music and instruments of Thailand]

References

* [http://www.dontrithai.com/history/point.htm A page about Thai musical instruments (in Thai)]

ee also

* [http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%88:%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2 Thai musical instruments category] at Thai Wikipedia
*Music of Thailand