The phin pia is a chest-resonated stick

zither Zither (; , from the Greek ''cithara'') is a class of stringed instruments. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body. Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a ...

with two to five strings. It is considered the national instrument of

Northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...

. The one string version (equivalent to the Cambodian

Kse diev The kse diev () or () is a Cambodian musical bow with a single copper or brass string and a gourd resonator. The resonator is held to the bow with a nylon cord and is open at the other end. The nylon cord holds on the resonator and acts as a loo ...

) is the phin namtao.

References

External links

The Traditional Music of Thailand By David Morton, Chen Duriyanga (Phra) p.91 has pictures of phin pia and phin namtao.Article on JSTOR, The Pia's Subtle Sustain: Contemporary Ethnic Identity and the Revitalization of the Lanna "Heart Harp," Andrew McGraw, Asian Music, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Summer - Autumn, 2007), pp. 115-142. [Subscription required]
Thai musical instruments Stick zithers {{zither-instrument-stub