Unique musical instruments made from bamboo
(Baonghean.vn) - In their working and production lives, highland people are closely connected to and rely on nature, so their culture is also imbued with the colors of nature. From there, bamboo and rattan trees have been used by ethnic communities to create unique musical instruments.
Xi xo:
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| Xi xo is used as an accompaniment for Thai folk songs such as lam, xuoi nhuon... Photo: Dinh Tuan |
It is a stringed instrument, made from a bamboo tube 45-50cm long. In the past, the instrument had two strings made of silk, but today, in addition to using iron strings, the bow is made from a thin bamboo stick about 45cm long and 1cm wide; the bowstring is usually made from small nylon threads, but most commonly made from bamboo strings. The bamboo used to make this instrument must be old and not infested with termites. Bamboo is usually chosen around February and March, at this time the bamboo will not be infested with termites, while in July and August the bamboo is good but infested with termites.In addition to being used for solo performances, this instrument can also be used in ensemble or to accompany folk songs in daily activities.
Pine tree:
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| Tung tinh is often used by Thai people during holidays and Tet. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
The main raw material for making the pine cone is bamboo and can also be reed. The bamboo chosen to make this instrument must be neither too old nor too young because if it is too old, it will easily break during the stringing process, and if it is too young, it will be susceptible to termites. In particular, it is necessary to choose bamboo with yellow eyes, with the largest diameter and length possible to make the body.
The Tung Tinh has 5 strings, of which 3 strings produce gong sounds and 2 strings produce drum sounds. All 5 strings are drilled and peeled from the bamboo tube. All the ends of the strings are inserted with small pieces of bamboo at the ends of the strings. When playing, people use the fingertips of the left hand to pluck and flick, in coordination with the right hand holding a small bamboo stick to hit the drum strings and the tube wall to create complex and unique sounds.
This instrument is often used in harmony with other instruments such as flutes, mandolines, xylophones, etc. When tapped, the sound of the instrument is like the sound of a drum, and when plucked, the sound is like the sound of a gong.
Pi tom:
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| Making a pi is quite simple, just cut 7 bamboo segments, each 8cm long, trim them and then thread them together in order of size. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
The Khmu people can make this unique musical instrument anywhere, as long as they only need a small bamboo tree with a diameter of 1-1.5cm. The bamboo tree used to make Pi tom must be old enough, not too old. Cut 7 bamboo segments, each 8cm long, trim them and then thread them together in order of size. The 3rd segment from the base, about 24cm long, has 3 holes drilled 6-7cm apart, the 7th tube is only as small as a chopstick with a reed, the reed is made from the bamboo tree itself. Pi is often used to accompany the Khmu people's Tom singing, every time they celebrate a new house, a wedding, a holiday...
Panpipes:
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| Mr. Vi Thanh Hai, in Chan village, Thach Giam commune, is one of the few people in the mountainous district of Tuong Duong who can make and use the panpipe. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
As a versatile instrument, the Khen Be is most effective when accompanying Thai folk songs (khap, lam, nhuon, xuoi).
The Khen be, together with other musical instruments, creates a lively and exciting harmony, expressing the optimism, love of life and solidarity of the Thai ethnic community. Therefore, in most Thai ethnic villages, festivals and happy days cannot lack the melodious sound of the Khen be, because it is the "soul" of the nation.
The raw materials for making the Khen Be are 14 small bamboo pieces of different lengths and 7 pairs placed parallel to form a block. This bamboo block is connected together by a wooden gourd, on these bamboo pieces, artisans create air holes and attach bronze bars.
The Khen be requires the user to be truly skillful, delicate and emotional. Those who are good at making and using Khen be instruments are often considered artisans by the locals.
Increase deck:
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| The tang boong bu is one of the musical instruments of the Thai people. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
The tang bum bu is a self-resonating instrument, made from bamboo tubes with an average length of 45-50cm. The instrument is mainly used by women, used in concert with gongs and drums. The sound of the tang bum bu resonates thanks to the sudden compression of air, hitting the ground and stepping together. In each concert, the tang bu is usually composed of 4-6 people, each person holds two tubes, hitting the ground or a piece of wood and knocking the two tubes together.
Stall:
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| Stalls are used in the community cultural activities of the Thai people. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Bamboo dance, also known as bamboo dance, is a unique folk dance of the highland people on happy occasions and in spring festivals.
In the old days, there was no background music, no singing, only the sound of the pestle pounding steadily according to a few prescribed rhythms. Then, in pairs, men and women held hands and tied to the bamboo poles, they had to dance gracefully, without letting the pestle pinch their legs. Bamboo dancing was not only fun but also trained the body to be flexible and healthy. The basic bamboo dance was very simple, usually using only a few movements. The beauty of Thai melodies as background music for bamboo dancing enriched the artistic quality, creating a jubilant atmosphere that attracted viewers from beginning to end. The bamboo poles had to have two large, straight, long bamboo poles as the "main poles" and 4 to 5 pairs of "small poles" made of bamboo.
