Traditional Cambodian musical instruments are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical music of Cambodia. They comprise a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments, used by both the Khmer majority as well as the nation's ethnic minorities.
Woodwind
Flute
Khloy () - vertical duct flute made of bamboo, hardwood, or plastic, with buzzing membrane Khloy ek - smaller in size Khloy thom - larger in size
Free-reed
Sneng () - water buffalo or ox horn with a single free reedphoto
Pey pok () - free-reed pipe While similar to a flute, it uses a single reed to create sound.photo Ploy () (also called m'baut) - mouth organ with gourd body and five to seven bamboo pipes; used by Mon-Khmer-speaking upland ethnic minorities Ken/Khaen () - free-reed mouth organ used in northwestern Cambodia Angkouch () (also called kangkuoch) - jaw harp made of bamboo or metal
Quadruple Reed
Sralai () - quadruple-reed oboe
Sralai toch () - small quadruple-reed oboe
Sralai thom ()- large quadruple-reed oboe
Pey ar () (also spelled beyaw, and also called bey prabauh) - oboe with cylindrical bore
Horns
Saing - conch horn
Other
Slek - tree leaf used as a wind instrument
String
Bowed
Tro () - fiddle
Tro Khmer () - three-string vertical spike fiddle with coconut shell body; used in classical music Tro che () - high-pitched two-string vertical fiddle, with face covered with snakeskin Tro sau toch () - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music Tro sau thom () - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music Tro u (also spelled tro ou) () - lower two-string vertical fiddle with a coconut shell body, with face covered with calfskin or snakeskin; used in classical musicphoto
Plucked
Chapei dong veng () - plucked fretted lute
Kong ring - bamboo tube zither, can play thet drum's part
Krapeu (also called takhe) - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings Kse diev () or () - chest-resonated stick zither)photo Pin - Cambodian harp, ancient instrument reborn in modern times
Struck
Khim () - hammered dulcimer
Percussion
Drums
Sampho (សម្ភោរ)- barrel drum, played with the hands
Skor (also spelled sko) - long skor drum
Skor thom (ស្គរធំ)- pair of large barrel drums, played with sticks
Skor yike (ស្គរយីកេ) - flat skor drum, played with hands and used in Yike dance drama Thon, Skor daey and skor arak - goblet-shaped drums, played with the handsphoto Rumana - frame drum, played with the hands
Gong chimes
Kong vong toch (also called kong toch) - small gong circle
Kong vong thom (also called kong thom) - large gong circle
Kong mon (also called kong mon) - small gong chime shaped curved
Xylophone
Roneat ()- trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Khmer classical and theater music Roneat ek - smaller xylophone Roneat thung - larger xylophone Roneat dek - smaller metallophone Roneat thong larger metallophone; no longer used
Gongs
Kong vong or kong thom () - single suspended gong
Clappers
Krap () - pair of flat bamboo or hardwood sticks
Cymbals
Ching (ឈិង) - pair of small cymbals used to mark time
Chap - pair of flat cymbals
Woodblocks
Pan - woodblock
Nay pay - pellow
Sindang - small size woodblocks
Occasions
Traditional Cambodian musical instruments play a significant role in the Cambodian culture. These instruments are typically used during royal events, weddings, and festivals. For weddings and royal events, the musicians playing the instruments would wear traditional Cambodian attire. Just like the Chinese, with regard to playing context, there is no conductor in traditional Cambodian music because musicians generally learned and memorized how to play the instruments aurally. These instruments provide a sense of identity for the Cambodian people.
See also
Music of Cambodia
References
External links
The traditional music and instruments of Cambodia
Rebuilding the musical instruments of the ancient Khmer. 26 February 2016. tuk-tuk.tv Mysteries of the Khmer harp. 9 April 2016. tuk-tuk.tv