In honor of our Musical Mini Summer Camp with Lao Heritage Foundation taking place next week, we thought we'd share a brief intro to some of the traditional instruments students will be learning to play.

Khaen. You may remember our post on 12 Things You See at Lao New Year, which we emphatically stated that the khaen is the identity of Lao music. Seen in almost every aspect of Lao celebration including holidays, blessing ceremonies and your typical barbecue, this mouth organ is the background sound to all lum songs. To paraphrase LHF’s Music Director Xai Suophom, “Music of the khaen is to Lao culture what the Blues, Jazz, and Bluegrass are to American culture.” It's sound may go unnoticed to a non-Lao listener when played with singing or other instruments in a traditional ensemble, however, when the khaen is played solo, it becomes obvious that to play this special wind reed requires much training to master it. 

Lannat Coming in as a close second to the khaen, the lannat is recognized by its shaped and sound. An instrument in the percussion family, it resembles a xylophone shaped like a boat - designed so as the sound echoes the hull of a ship. It's "keyboard" consists of wooden bars held together by strings and is played by striking by two mallets. Coincidentally mallets made from two types of material are used depending on the tempo: wood mallets create sharp and bright sounds, used for faster playing whereas mallets with leather tips tend to make mellow and softer tones, reserved for slower songs.

Saw A two-string fiddle that is often referred to as the Lao violin. The two main types are Saw E (higher notes) and Saw O (lower tones). Unlike the khaen or lannat which are played as solo instruments, the saw is used as accompaniment in a traditional Lao orchestra setting. To play it, the musician places the saw upright in their thigh while seated on the ground. Commonly heard throughout Asia, the saw is not unique to Laos and its shape suggests it came from Chinese or Mongolian origin.

Khim A stringed musical instrument introduced to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand from China, although derived from the Persian Santur. The khim is made of wood, with brass strings that are laid across, and played by hitting two flexible bamboo sticks with soft leather tips, producing a soft tone similar to that of a harp. It can be played sitting on the floor, or while standing or sitting on a chair as long as it's placed at arm height. There are three shapes to the khim: the butterfly, also the smallest size; the trapezoid which makes it portable and more convenient to carry; and oval shape, painted with colors attractive for small children.

Kong Wong Also known by a less popular name, pat kong, this percussion instrument is as spectacular in its construction as it is in sound. Made by a set of 16-18 small bronze gongs, suspended horizontally on a circular rattan frame, with the musician seated down inside the round armature to play it. The lowest tones are situated on their left and the highest tones on their right, and the gongs range in diameter size from 17-20 centimeters. The mallets used to strike the gongs are short and like the lannat can be made from hard or soft material depending on the melody sound needed.

That Phon A medium-large barrel drum with two ends, placed on a wooden base. The beat is made by hitting bare hands, on the left for bass sounds and on the right for treble. Traditionally it accompanies the chant and the dance of Phra Lak Phra Lum, the Lao version of the classic epic Ramayana. In musical arrangements it can provide the rythmn for other instruments, and has a sound similar to the Indian dholak.

Xing Two small domed bronze cymbals, connected by a cord. Used to mark the tempo, they can be played opened by hitting their sides together and closed by clapping their open ends into each other. When played opened, the xing has a powerful sound level, almost like a high frequency ring.

Of course there are many more interesting and unique instruments, and versions of them, that make up all the musical sounds in the traditional Lao orchestra. But we've only have next week in Philly to experiment and play with LHF and master musician Sengdeuan (Noh) Phengkeo. Won't you join us?