Traditional Thai musical instruments (, ) are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical music of
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. 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
The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
.
In the traditional Thai system of
organology
Organology (; ) is the science of musical instruments and their classifications. It embraces study of instruments' history, instruments used in different cultures, technical aspects of how instruments produce sound, and musical instrument classi ...
, they are classified into four categories, by the action used in playing:
#Plucking (plucked string instruments; , ''khrueang dit'')
#Bowing (bowed string instruments; , ''khrueang si'')
#Striking (percussion instruments and hammered dulcimer; , ''khrueang ti'')
#Blowing (wind instruments; , ''khrueang pao'')
Traditional Thai musical instruments also are classified into four categories, by the region of
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
in which they are used.
String
Plucked
*
Krachappi (กระจับปี่) - ancient fretted lute
*
Chakhe (จะเข้) - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings. The first two strings are made from silk, and the last is made from bronze
*
Phin
The phin (, ) (, ) is a type of lute with a pear-shaped body, originating in the Isan region of Thailand and played mostly by ethnic Lao people, Laotians in Thailand and Laos. It has frets on the neck over which two or three metal strings run tha ...
(พิณ) - three-stringed lute used in the Isan region
*
Phin phia (พิณเพียะ) - chest-resonated stick zither played by the Northern Thai people
*
Sueng (ซึง) - plucked lute from the northern region
*
Phin hai (พิณไห) or ''hai song'' (ไหซอง) - a set of earthenware jars with rubber bands stretched over the open mouths
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; also known as the most beautiful of the fiddles
*
Saw u (ซออู้) - lower two-string fiddle with a coconut shell body; used in classical music
*
Saw krapawng (ซอกระป๋อง)- two-string fiddles with body made from a metal can; used in the Isan region; ''saw krapong'' is smaller
*
Saw pip (ซอปี๊บ) In a larger version of the saw krapang, the resonator is made of aluminum or large stainless steel crafted into the box. Bamboo neck and wooden pegs (shaft), it uses steel strings. The sound is lower than that of saw krapang. Usually, saw pip is only for the blind and beggars used for the purpose of busking to earn money.
*
Saw bang/Saw phu thai (ซอบั้ง) - a made from bamboo, used in the Isan region. It is similar ''xi xa lo'' of
Thai people (Vietnam).
*
Salo (สะล้อ) - two- or three-string spike fiddle used in the northern region
Struck
*
Khim (ขิม) -
hammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-string instrument which consists of String (music), strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board (music), sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set bef ...
was classified as an idiophone
Percussion
Drums
*
Taphon (ตะโพน) or ''klawng taphon'' (กลองตะโพน) - sacred barrel drum; played with the hands and used in the ''piphat'' ensemble and it is an membranophone
*
Taphon mon (ตะโพนมอญ) - large drum played with the hand, used in the
''piphat mon''
*
Klong that (กลองทัด) - large drum played with sticks; usually played in a pair and used in the ''piphat'' ensemble
*
Klong chatri (กลองชาตรี), also known as ''klong tuk'' (กลองตุ๊ก) - same as ''klong that'' but smaller, played with sticks; used in the ''
piphat chatri''
*
Rammana (รำมะนา) - frame drum; played with the hand
*
Thon (โทน) -
goblet drum
The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-shaped body. It is ...
; played with the hand
**
Thon chatri (โทนชาตรี)
**
Thon mahori (โทนมโหรี)
*
Klong thap (กลองทับ) - goblet drum used primarily in southern Thai folk music, also used to create a beat in southern that shows or ''
Nora'' shows.
*
Klong khaek (กลองแขก) - barrel drum; played with the hands and generally played in pairs
*
Klong song na (กลองสองหน้า) - barrel drum; played with the hands
*
Klong yao (กลองยาว) - long drum; played with the hands
*
Poeng mang khok (เปิงมางคอก), or simply ''poeng mang'' (เปิงมาง) - set of tuned drums used in the ''
piphat mon
A ''piphat'' () is a kind of ensemble in the Art music, classical music of Thailand, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compos ...
''
*
Klong bantho (กลองบัณเฑาะว์) - smallest hourglass pellet drum, like the
Damaru
A damaru (, ; Tibetan languages, Tibetan ཌ་མ་རུ་ or རྔ་ཆུང) is a small two-headed drum, used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. In Hinduism, the damaru is known as the instrument of the Hindu deity Shiva, associated wi ...
and
Dhadd in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
; used in the Royal Thai
Brahmanism-Hinduism Ceremony or ritual about the
Thai Royal Family
*
Klong seng (กลองเส็ง),
Klong ching (กลองจิ่ง), or
Klong tae (กลองแตะ) - large drum played with sticks; generally played in pairs and used in competition in the Isan region, particularly by the
Phu Thai
Phu Thai (Phuu Thai; Thai, Phu Thai: ''Phasa Phu Thai'', ภาษาผู้ไท or ภูไท) is a Southwestern Tai language spoken in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Although it appears different from the Isan and the Lao languages, it is ...
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
Kulintang (, )
is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums.
As part of the larger gong-chime culture ...
''; rare
Pitched percussion
*
Ranat (ระนาด) - trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Thai classical and theater music
**
Ranat ek
The ''ranat ek'' (, , "also xylophone") is a Thai musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator and struck by two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in ...
(ระนาดเอก) - higher xylophone, with bars usually made of hardwood
**
Ranat thum
The ''ranat thum'' (, ) is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 17 wooden bars, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ''ranat ek'', but it is lower and wider. It is usually playe ...
(ระนาดทุ้ม) - lower xylophone, with bamboo or hardwood bars
**
Ranat ek lek
The ''ranat ek lek'' (, ) is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the smaller of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the larger one is called '' ranat thum lek''.
This musical instrument was originated in the reign o ...
(ระนาดเอกเหล็ก) - higher
metallophone
A metallophone is any musical instrument in which the sound-producing body is a piece of metal (other than a metal string), such as tuned metal bars, tubes, rods, bowls, or plates. Most frequently the metal body is struck to produce sound, usual ...
**
Ranat thum lek
The ''ranat thum lek'' (, ) is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophones; the smaller one is called ''ranat ek lek
The ''ranat ek lek'' (, ) is a metallophone used in th ...
(ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก) - lower metallophone
**
Ranat kaeo (ระนาดแก้ว) -
crystallophone; very rare
*
Pong 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
*
Khong wong chai (วงฆ้องชัย) - set of seven large bossed gongs suspended vertically in a circular frame; rare
Clappers
*
Krap (กรับ) - clapper
**
Krap phuang (กรับพวง) - bundle of hardwood and brass slats, tied together at one end
**
Krap sepha (กรับเสภา) - pair of bamboo or hardwood sticks
Cymbals
*
Ching
Ching may refer to:
People
* Ching, a unisex given name
** Ching He Huang, a food writer and TV chef
** Ching Hammill (1902–1925), American football player
** Ching Johnson (1898–1979), Canadian National Hockey League player
** Willis August ...
(ฉิ่ง) - pair of small, thick cymbals joined by a cord; used to mark time
*
Chap (ฉาบ) - pair of flat cymbals joined by a cord
**
Chap lek (ฉาบเล็ก) - smaller
**
Chap yai (ฉาบใหญ่) - larger
Bell
*
Kangsdal (กังสดาล) - bell made from bronze, usually used in ancient monk rituals
Shaken bamboo
*
Angklung (อังกะลุง) - set of tuned bamboo tubes mounted in a frame and shaken; generally played by a group. Comes from Indonesia.
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
A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
used in the
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...
region. Play by holding between the hands, and while rotating, blow downwards into the pipes.
Free-reed

*
Khaen (
แคน) - mouth organ used in the Isan region
**
Khaen hok (แคนหก, ''hok'' meaning "six") - small ''khaen'' with 12 pipes in two rows of 6; usually used by children or beginners, or sold to tourists
**
Khaen jet (แคนเจ็ด, ''jet'' meaning "seven") - medium-sized khaen with 14 pipes in two rows of 7
**
Khaen paet (แคนแปด, ''paet'' meaning "eight") - medium-sized ''khaen'' with 16 pipes in two rows of 8; the most commonly used variety
**
Khaen gao (แคนเก้า, ''gao'' meaning "nine") - ''khaen'' with 18 pipes in two rows of 9; usually very long
**
Khaen sip (แคนสิบ, ''sip'' meaning "ten") - an "improved" version of the ''khaen paet''; little used
*
Pi chum (ปี่จุม; called ปี่ซอ ''pi so'' in northern Thailand) - free reed pipe used in the 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
*
Jaw harp
The Jew's harp, also known as jaw harp, juice harp, or mouth harp, is a lamellophone instrument, consisting of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue or Reed (mouthpiece), reed attached to a frame. Despite the colloquial name, the Jew's harp most like ...
(called ''chongnong'' (จ้องหน่อง) in central Thailand and ''huen'' (หืน) in northeast Thailand) - played primarily among
ethnic minorities
The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
of northern Thailand, as well as by the people of the Isan region.
Oboes
*
Pi (ปี่) - quadruple- or double-reed oboe
**
Pi chanai (ปี่ไฉน) - possibly derived from the Indian ''
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a type of oboe from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end. It was one of the nine instruments found in the royal court. The shehnai is sim ...
''
**
Pi chawa (ปี่ชวา) - used to accompany
Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
**
Pi klang (ปี่กลาง)
**
Pi mon (ปี่มอญ; မွန်နှဲ) - 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 Trae is a given name.
Notable people with the name "Trae" include
* Trae Bell-Haynes (born 1995), Canadian basketball player
* Trae Coyle (born 2001), English footballer
* Trae Crowder (born 1986), American comedian
* Trae Elston (born 1994), Am ...
(แตร) - metal horn
*
Sang (สังข์) -
conch
Conch ( , , ) is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high Spire (mollusc), spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point on both ...
shell horn; also called ''trae sang'' (แตรสังข์) or ''Sangkhla''
*
Thai fanfare trumpet - used only in royal ceremonies
Central
*
Saw sam sai
*
Saw duang
*
Saw u
*
Jakhe
*
Khlui
*
Pi
*
Ranat ek
The ''ranat ek'' (, , "also xylophone") is a Thai musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator and struck by two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in ...
*
Ranat thum
The ''ranat thum'' (, ) is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 17 wooden bars, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ''ranat ek'', but it is lower and wider. It is usually playe ...
*
Khong wong yai
*
Khong wong lek
*
Thon rammana
*
Glong khaek
*
Glong songna
Northeast
*Huen - This drum is shaped like a drum that is used in the ''puang mang kog'' set. It is always played with a ''
piphat'' ensemble.
*
Khaen - mouth organ
*
Wot - a circular panpipe made of 6-9 various lengths of small bamboo pipes. Play by holding between the hands, and while rotating, blow downwards into the pipes.
(''mai-ruak'' or ''mai-hia'', ''mai-ku-khan'')
*
Phin
The phin (, ) (, ) is a type of lute with a pear-shaped body, originating in the Isan region of Thailand and played mostly by ethnic Lao people, Laotians in Thailand and Laos. It has frets on the neck over which two or three metal strings run tha ...
- a fretted, plucked lute
*
Pong lang - log xylophone played by two players with hard stick. Its shape is like a xylophone consisting of 15 wooden bars stringed together
*
Jakhe (Kabue) - one of the important instruments in the ''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 kan truem - a bowed string instrument with a wooden soundbox, the head of which is covered with snakeskin.
*Saw phu thai - a
tube zither
The tube zither is a stringed musical instrument in which a tube functions both as an instrument's neck and its soundbox. As the neck, it holds strings taut and allows them to vibrate. As a soundbox, it acoustic resonance, modifies the sound and ...
/
Idiochord made from bamboo, played by
Isan people
The Isan people (, , ; , ; , ; ) or literally Northeastern people are an ethnic group native to Isan, Northeastern Thailand with an estimated population of about 22 million. Alternative terms for this group are ''T(h)ai Isan'', ''Thai-La ...
*Glong kan truem - a single-headed drum
*Pi salai - a double-reed oboe accompanied with ''
kantrum'' ensemble
*Krap khu - a pair of hard wooden bars two pairs made a set, played with both hands as percussion in "Kantruem ensemble".
North
*
Salo - 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 chum (called ''pi so'' 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 phia - 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.
*
Talotpot - or Malotpot is a two-faced tubular drum of 100 centimeters long.
*
Glong tingnong - The biggest and longest drum with one face made of hide about 3–4 metres long.
*
Glong sabat chai - The most famous drum in northern, hanging on the double wooden bars carried by men
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 barrel-shaped drum used to accompany the Nora dance or the Nang talung (Shadow puppet) performance
*
Mong ching - Mong and Ching: two important percussion instruments used for accompanying the ''Nora'' dance (dance drama) and the ''Nang talung'' (shadow puppet) 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 phuang - Trae phuang or Krap phung: a percussion used to provide rhythmic punctuation of the Nora ensemble.
See also
*
Music of Thailand
The music of Thailand includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern.
Traditional Thai musical instruments are varied and reflect ancient influence from far afield – including the ''klong thap'' and ''khim'' (Iran, Pers ...
References
External links
The Traditional Music and Instruments of Thailand
{{Asian musical instruments