Thailand

• formerly known as SIAM

• Muang Thai or Land of the Free
 Thai Music
• Thai Music is a living art
• traditional Thai Music - 800 yrs. Old
• drums, bells, and trumpets for
entertainment
• royal courts, dance, theater, and
ceremonies
 Thai Music
• history and geography indicates that Thai music
is a conglomeration of Asian influences
• its musical principles and elements are basically
derived from Chinese music
• its musical instruments are inspired from the
Indian and Indonesian strings and gong-chimes
• Music is theoretically based on the five-tone or
seven-tone scale system
 Two kinds of
Traditional Thai
Music
1. Folk Music
- countryside
- simple songs with
simple melodic lines
2. Classical Music
- royal court
- main focus in singing is the
articulation of the text rather than
the style or technique of execution
Three Primary
Instrumental
Ensembles of
Thailand
1. PIPHAT
a mid-sized orchestra performed outdoor
or indoor
traditionally associated with funerals and
cremation ceremonies
other versions are used to accompany
“NANG YAI” and “KHON”
2. KHRUEANG
SAI
an orchestra that combines some of the
percussion and wind instruments of
piphat with an expanded string section
primarily used for indoor performances
and for accompaniment of stick-puppet
theater
3. MAHORI
traditionally played by women in the
courts of Central Thailand and
Cambodia that’s why the instruments
are smaller
the vocalist is accompanied by the so
sam sai
SO SAM SAI
• a traditional bowed string instrument
of Thailand
• its body is made from a special type
of coconut covered on one end with
animal skin, and it has three silk
strings
 LAOS
• previously called LAN XANG
which means “kingdom of a million
elephants”
• most of Laos is covered by forests
and mountains, which are hard to
live and travel in
 LAOS
• 1779, the Siams from Thailand conquered
Laos
• French arrived in 1893
• During the 1960s and 1970s, Laos was
involved in the Vietnam War
• Lao people believe in close families and
worship the Buddhist religion
 MUSIC of LAOS
• classical music and dance is highly influenced
by India, Cambodia and Thailand
• themes are drawn from Hindu mythology,
Buddhist Jataka tales and local legends
• royal entourage of Lao kings include
musicians, a typical orchestra improvised
songs with sets of tuned gongs, xylophones,
bamboo flute and other wind instruments
LAO KING ENTOURAGE
LAO KING ENTOURAGE
 LAO ORCHESTRA
 SEP NYAI
- similar to PIPHAT with
instruments that are strictly
percussive but also integrates
the use of an oboe
SEP NYAI
 LAO ORCHESTRA
SEP NOI
- similar to MAHORI, it
incorporates the use of
KHENE
KHENE
KHENE
• a large bamboo mouth
organ
• most popular folk music
instrument of Laos
KHENE
 LAM
traditional music of Laos
typically features a theme of
UNREQUITED LOVE
LAM