Watch Thai artisans craft unique musical instruments from bamboo

(Baonghean.vn) - From bamboo trunks, the Thai people in Nghe An have crafted the tap tinh instrument - a unique musical instrument that can replace drums and gongs in certain situations.

The raw material for making the tap tinh instrument is old bamboo shoots, the larger the diameter and length, the better to make the body of the instrument. Next to it is bamboo sticks to make the drumhead and drumsticks. In the photo: Meritorious artisan Luong Van Nghiep (Thai ethnic group) in Cang village, Mon Son commune (Con Cuong) making the tap tinh instrument. Photo: Cong Kien

The bamboo segment is kept intact with both nodes. The craftsman uses a knife to make a cut on the surface of the bamboo to thin out a part of the body. Then, a small hole is carved in the middle of the thinned surface. The craftsman continues to use a sharp and pointed knife to separate the bamboo strands located close to both sides of the original thin cut. Photo: Cong Kien

After separating, use small bamboo ribs to insert the two ends under the bamboo strings to increase the tension of the strings. Next, cut a thin bamboo block into an oval shape and place it on the small hole cut on the thinly beveled surface to make the drum face. Photo: Cong Kien

Watch the artisans craft and "play" the instrument:

The more strings a tap tinh instrument has, the richer its tone will be, demonstrating the talent and skillful hands of the artisan. When making this instrument, the Thai people can replace drums and gongs in certain situations. For example, when they are in the fields, at night, when the moonlight is shining brightly in the middle of the forest, people want to gather to chat, then sing and dance together. No one brings drums and gongs, so to have a musical instrument to make sounds instead, people made the tap tinh instrument. Photo: Cong Kien

The completed zither is used by the player to add a small bamboo stick, about 20-30cm long, to tap on the drum surface on the body of the instrument or tap around the body of the instrument to produce a pleasant sound. The resonance of the sound depends on the tapping force and the tapping position. And to make the strings produce sound, the player uses his fingers to pluck them. If when tapping, the sound of the zither is like the sound of a drum, then when plucking, the sound is long like the sound of a gong. Photo: Cong Kien

Artisan Luong Van Nghiep is famous not only for his ability to stage unique performances but also for his talent in making Thai ethnic musical instruments, including the tap tinh. He also composed the song "Cay dan tap tinh" with a cheerful and exciting melody: "The tap tinh has been used for generations, selected from bamboo trees, bamboo trees on the hillside, bamboo trees by the streams, brought back to make the instrument. Young and old, boys and girls play and sing happily on the tap tinh. The sound of the tap tinh echoes through the mountains and hills, praying for the rice fields and corn fields to be green; praying for the endless green forests; deer, roe deer, and flocks of birds to gather happily. The sound of the tap tinh echoes through the stilt houses, calling for the love of boys and girls to be charming, calling for Spring to come to the village festival...". Photo: Cong Kien

Cong Kien