ASIAN PLUCKED INSTRUMENTS

INFO COMPILED BY. MOISES OLVERA

 Far East ATLAS of Plucked Instruments

HOME Far East

about
collection This is a long page. Most of the plucked instruments of the Far East look quite similar, clearly
books originating from a single (Chinese) source.
index
links
Even the names are often quite similar, although usually you can distinguish (by small
lutes
differences) the instruments from each particular country. So on this page you find the
guitars early
instruments from China, Mongolia, Tuva, Japan and Korea. Because Vietnam (where over the
guitars modern
years/centuries lots of Chinese refugies have moved to) appears to have very similar
mandolins
instruments, this country is also included on this page.
cittern
banjos
steelguitars
miscellaneous
Europe West
Europe East
Europe South
Africa
Middle East For Tibet and West China see
Central Asia Central Asia.
India
Far East For Philippines see
S.E. Asia South East Asia.
America N
America C
America S

You Tube

top China
 pipa

The pipa is the main lute of China. Old pictures show it must have been known for about
1000 years; it is still the most popular plucked instrument. The name comes from pi (=
play forward) and pa (= play backward).

The body and neck are carved from one block of heavy hardwood, painted black. The
front is made from some soft wood. The first 6 frets are triangles of wood, with a bone
rim. The other (about 25) frets are small strips of bamboo, about 1cm high, glued on the
front in normal western scale of 12 tones to an octave.

The peghead is sickle shaped and ends in a curl to the front, with a special Chinese type
decoration of different woods. The 4 long grooved friction pegs (ending with slices of
different woods) are on both sides of the open peghead. The 4 silk strings are fixed to a
nicely shaped bamboo bridge, glued to the front. There is no soundhole, except one tiny
hole under the bridge. Tuning is A d e a.

The pipa used to be played with bare fingers, although since the silk string are replaced
by steel strings (for more volume) it is played with nail picks, taped to the thumb and all
fingers, or with a plectrum. It is usually played in an upright position with the body
resting on the left thigh. The picking direction is opposite that of guitar playing : the
fingers flick out and the thumb pulls up (nail first). By playing "rolls" with alternating
fingers a mandoline-like tremelo is often used.

The music is (for centuries) written in special tablature, indicating string, fret position,
finger, direction, volume, etc. The pipa is used in all Chinese orchestras for
pipa accompaniment, but there are many solo pieces, usually reflecting some mood, or
example : bought in celebrating some historical happening (often some battle).
Hongkong 1984

L=1020 B=315
H=70mm
scale 725mm

You Tube

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 ruan

The ruan is the Chinese "mandolin". It comes in several sizes, but only the zhongruan
(alto) and daruan (tenor) are commonly used in orchestras.

The body of the ruan is made from 2 round pieces of soft wood of about 30 cm diameter
for front and back, with a shallow rim of hardwood around them. The neck with a raised
fretboard is joined to the body. Usually there are two soundholes (round or other shape)
on the front.

The peghead is sickle shaped and ends in a curl to the front, with a special Chinese type
of decoration, made of different woods. The frets are small strips of bamboo (or plastic),
glued on the neck, in a normal western scale (12 frets to an octave).

The 4 long (grooved) friction pegs are with two on each side of the open pegbox. They
have an invisible mechanisme inside the peghead, which turns the peg on the front of
the closed peghead.
The 4 metal strings run over a loose bamboo bridge to a wooden stringholder at the
bottom of the body. Tuning could be G d a e' (soprano) or C G d a (tenor).

The ruan is played with a plectrum. With sizes ranging from large, medium to small, the
modern ruan is capable of producing a variety of tones that range from rich to delicate.
It is often used in orchestral performances, as well as for accompaniment of folk operas.

ruan For much more information

example : bought via about Chinese instruments,
internet from see : Chinese music.
Apollo'sAxes, 2005

L=730 B=310 H=85mm the machine heads

scale425mm are inside the closed
peghead, with
You Tube traditional looking
pegs

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 yueh chin / yueh qin

The yueh chin (qin is the old romanisation spelling) is the Chinese "moon-guitar" and is
quite similar to the ruan.

The body of the yueh chin is made from 2 round pieces of soft wood of about 30 cm
diameter, for front and back, with a shallow rim of bended hardwood around them
(thinner than the ruan). The short neck with the pegbox is made of one piece of wood
and joined to the body. The peghead is sickle shaped and ends in a curl to the front, with
usually a special decoration of different woods.

The 10 frets are small strips of bamboo, glued on the neck, in Chinese tone pitches (7 to
an octave). Tuning is g d' g' d''.

The 4 long (grooved) friction pegs (with different coloured slices on the ends) are on
both sides of the open pegbox. The 4 silk strings are in 2 courses and fixed to a
hardwood bridge which is glued to the front. There is only one tiny sound hole under the
bridge.

The yueh chin is played with a plectrum, in mandolin-style.

yueh chin
example : bought from
Ray Man Musicshop,
London 1977

L=640 B=370 H=40mm

scale 370mm

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 liuqin

The liuqin (pronunciation: Lee-oo-chin) is the small relative of the pipa. It's name derives
from the fact that it looks like a willow leaf (liu is Chinese for willow). It would originally
have been made of willow too, but new models are made of tong and sandal wood. The
example instrument is a modern, cheaper version where everything black is made of
black plastic. Another name is liuyeqin.

In general the liuqin is made like the pipa. So the body, neck and pegbox are carved
from one piece of hardwood, and painted black. The front is made from some softwood.
All frets are made from strips of bamboo and in a normal western scale. Usually there
are two soundholes next to the strings on the front, each covered with an ivory (now
always plastic) pierced rosette.

The pegbox is sickle shaped with a forward curl that ends with a special decoration of
different woods/plastics. It has 4 long grooved wooden pegs, two on each side of the
open pegbox. The 4 steel strings run over a small (rounded) bamboo bridge to some pins
on the edge of the body. The tuning is g d' g' d''.

The liuqin is played with a plectrum, and is mainly used in the accompaniment of folk
operas, although quite often it can be heard as a solo instrument. Because of its shorter
strings & relatively small resonator, the liuqin is noted for high pitches and distinctively
bright tones.

liuqin
example : bought via
eBay 2006

L=630 B=235
H=65mm
scale 410mm
On some liuqins the tail has a
You Tube special device to fine-tune the
strings.

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 nanyin pipa

Besides the normal pipa there is an other style pipa, called the nanyin pipa, or "Nanpa"
or "horizontally held pipa", like in the old style. It is used in the Fujian region and on
Taiwan.

The body is more or less the same (a bit wider) as the normal pipa, the main differences
are the frets and the pegbox. The front has a crescent-shaped sound hole on either side.

The frets have only 4 triangular pieces (instead of 6), missing the lowest and the top
one. The nine lower frets are in a diatonic scale.

The peghead looks more like a Japanese

biwa, bending back.

The number of strings and tuning is the

same, but this pipa is not played vertical
(resting on the knee), but horizontal, like a
guitar. It seems this instrument and
playing style is older than the normal pipa.

nanyin pipa
example : from
eBay Nanyin is a traditional opera sung in the Minnan (south Fujian) dialect. Closely tied with
imperial and Buddhist music, poetic rhythm and drama tunes from Central China, Nanyin
L=~950 B=0 is accompanied by a band of erxian (fiddle), sanxian, dongxiao (flute), nanpa (bent-neck
H=0mm pipa) and paiban (clappers).
scale 00mm

You Tube

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 chinchin / qinqin

The chinchin (or qinqin, but same pronounciation) is a plucked instrument mainly used in
folk music in South China.

The chinchin can be found with many different body shapes : some look like a guitar (like
this example), some have a flower-shaped body (like the Vietnamese Dan Sen), are six
or eight-sided, square or even banjo like. They usually have a banjo-like skin on the
front - often made of snake skin (python) - so the guitar-shaped chinchin looks a bit like
a dobro. Other fronts are made of soft wood, like the ruan.

The neck and pegbox are often guitar-like, but the peghead could also be like on other
Chinese instruments. There are 3 strings, usually steel, running over a loose small
wooden bridge to a fixing device at the edge of the body.

The chinchin will be usually strummed with a plectrum or with the forefinger, and is used
mainly to accompany singing folk songs.

The main difference with the flower-

shaped Dan Sen from Vietnam is the
number of strings :
3 for the chinchin and 2 for the Dan
Sen.

chinchin
example : bought
from bookshop in
Rotterdam 1995

L=810 B=270
H=50mm
scale 550mm left a chinchin with flower-shaped
body (without strings or pegs) and
right a real banjo-shaped chinchin.
You Tube
(both from eBay)

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 sanxian

The sanxian (or san-hsien, which literally means "3 strings" in Chinese) is a popular
Chinese banjo. It comes in two sizes : a small one (body diameter 14 cm) and a big one
(body diameter 24 cm).

The body is made from a hoop of hardwood, with on front and back a snake skin
(python), glued all around the edge of the rounded wooden front and back.

The neck is made of hardwood, with a joined-on pegbox of similar wood. The pegbox has
a slight curve to the back. The 3 long grooved friction pegs are cone shaped with strips of
different woods at the ends. Two are on the right side and one is on the left side of the
open pegbox.
The 3 silk strings run over a small wooden bridge to a separate rounded wooden pin at
the bottom of the body.

The sanxian is played with a plectrum. With a strong, rich tone and a notably wide range,
it is widely used in accompaniment as well as orchestral and solo performances.

The big one (which has a less sharp sound) is used to accompany songs.

sanxian The example instrument has a special capodastre on the neck, through which all 3 strings
example right : bought go; by sliding this up and down the neck the easiest range for the singer can be found,
from bookshop in without re-tuning.
Rotterdam 2004
(left : from Chinese
website)

L=890 B=145 H=75mm

scale 650mm

You Tube
the large one

You Tube
the small one

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 gu chin / guqin

The chin or guchin (or old spelling qin or guqin) is a seven string fretless zither, and one
of the oldest instruments. Because it was played by the higher classes it was also known
as the "lute" of China. For more information about the guchin see silk.qin.com . In
Chinese, "gu" means old and "qin" means "musical instrument". So although it was
historically known as CHIN, during the last century is has been widely called GUCHIN.

The body of the chin is made from a big plank of hardwood (of about 1.20 meter),
hollowed out from the back. The bottom is covered with a flat plank. The entire body is
painted with black lacquer. In the bottom plank is a long slit (soundhole), which is
covered on the inside with half a bamboo pole. Is has two round "feet" at the left side.
The 7 silk strings are fixed on the right side to pegs that can be twisted (and therefore
tuning the strings) from the bottom up. The strings run to a small bone bridge at the left
end of the soundbox, and are then fixed at the bottom to some tuning divice near the
feet. The seven strings can be tuned in a variety of keys, but the basic tuning is: C D F G
A c d. On the far side of the top string (the thickest, furthest from the player) are 13
white dots to indicate the flageolet points.

The chin is played by laying it flat on a table and plucking it with the right hand. The left
hand shortens the strings (more or less holding the thumb sideways) by pressing the
string down on the soundboard - often sliding up and down. Also a variety of flageolets
can be produced. Because of this technic of shortening the strings, it is the only zither
included here on the website.

guchin There maybe are thousands of chin pieces in existence, some from 500 AD and many of
example : bought these pieces are still played today. The music is in tablature, which gives detailed
via eBay, 2003 information about place, string, finger, direction, volume, etc.

L=1230 B=200
H=50mm There is much symbolism surrounding the
scale 1110mm instrument. For example, it measures 3' 6.5"
(Chinese feet and inches), to symbolise the
You Tube 365 days of the year; the upper surface is
rounded, representing the sky, the bottom is
flat and represents the earth.
The five strings of the earliest chins
symbolise the five elements: Metal, Wood,
Water, Fire and Earth. Finally, the 13
mother-of-pearl inlays along the outer edge
represent the 13 months of the lunar year.

In Imperial China, a well educated scholar

was expected to be skilled in four arts:
chess, calligraphy, poetry, and chin.

top Mongolia
 tobshuur (inner Mongolia, China)

In the Chinese Province of Inner Mongolia they use a fretless tobshuur that looks very
much like the well known cello of the Mongolians, the Morin Khuur.
Like the Morin Khuur this tobshuur also has a nicely carved horse head on the top and a
quite rectangular body. It is made in a factory.

The body is built like a guitar, with some soft wood front. The back, sides and neck are
painted. The neck is flush with the soundboard and has no fingerboard and no frets. The
two sound holes look a bit like f-holes. The decoration lines near the edge and the
Mongolian signs are painted on the wood.

The neck ends with a joined-on pegbox, with a carved horse head. The two (nylon) strings
are tuned with a flat T-shaped wooden peg on each side of the open pegbox. The strings
go over a small loose bridge and are fixed by tying through two holes in a strip of wood at
the bottom of the body.

The tobshuur is strummed with the right finger (or a plectrum) and often only the first
string is fingered (and the second with the thumb). It is mainly used to accompany throat
singing.

tobshuur
example : bought via
internet from Sound-
of-Nature, 2004

L=970 B=215
H=650mm
scale 700mm

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 tobshuur (Mongolia - the state)

In Mongolia (the country) the tobshuur has a different shape. Although it used to be made
with a skin top (like a banjo), nowadays they have changed to wooden tops for more
volume. Also quite recently the idea of a swan has turned up. On CD's of Mongolian music
these instruments are now often called "swan-neck-lutes". The idea of the swan is not only
used for the shape of the head, but also for the two sound holes (cut in the front), and for
the body. It seems not factory made. The instrument resembles much the Tuva bowed lute
igli, which has a leather front and a horsehead peghead.

The body of this tobshuur is carved from one piece of wood, with on the back the carving
of two wings. The neck is joined to the body and is, together with the peghead, made of
one piece of wood. The peghead has a carving of a swan head. The eyes and the beack are
painted. The fretless neck is flush with the soundboard and has no fingerboard (the black
is painted on).

The tobshuur has two (now nylon) strings, tuned with a round wooden tuning peg on each
side of the (open on the back) pegbox. The strings go through holes near the nut to the
back. The strings go over a rather big loose wooden bridge, and are fixed to a wooden pin
at the end of the body.

The tobshuur is strummed with the right finger and often only the first string is fingered
(or the second with the thumb). It is mainly used to accompany singing.

tobshuur
example : bought via
internet from Sound-
of-Nature, 2004

L=880 B=210
H=80mm
scale 620mm

You Tube

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 topshur / khomys (USSR)

This is another tobshuur or as it is called in USSR : topshur or khomys. It looks more like
the traditional tobshuur, as it has a skin front; but also like the Tuva bowed lute igli.

The body of the topshur is carved from a solid block of wood in a smooth oval shape, and a
small round soundhole in middle of the the back. The leather skin is not glued, but
stretched by means of many pieces of (nylon) rope all around the back of the wooden
body. In the skin are 3 small decoration holes. The neck and (square) peghead are made
from a separate piece of wood. All the wood is painted dark brown.

The topshur has two nylon (guitar) strings, which are tuned by a round wooden peg on
each side of the (open on the back) pegbox. The strings go passed a plastic nut through
small holes to the back. At the other end they run over a rather big loose wooden bridge to
a small wooden pin at the end of the body.

The neck is not rounded, but 5-sided and slightly raised above the skin; it has no fret
board. The frets are in western scale, and are made from wound nylon, but in one long
binding, so all frets are joined.

The topshur is strummed with the right finger and often only the first string is fingered. It
is mainly used to accompany singing.

Note that a khomus is the name of a jaw harp.

topshur / khomys
example : bought via
internet from Khomys
.com, Novosibirsk,
USSR, 2004

L=860 B=190 The back of the topshur, with the ropes to fix the skin.
H=80mm
scale 60mm

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 shanz / shudraga

This instrument is in fact the large size Chinese sanxian, which is often used in the
Mongolian area, and then called shanz or shudraga.

It has three nylon strings and is played in similar style (with plectrum) to accompany
singing.

shanz / shudraga
example : seen during
concert in Holland

L=0 B=0 H=0mm

scale 00mm

You Tube

top Tuva
 doshpuluur

In Tuva (a small USSR republic just north-west of Mongolia) they use a kind of plucked
instrument which is quite similar to the tobshuur, but called doshpuluur (also spelled :
toshpulur, tochpuluur, dospulur, etc.)

It is a kind of banjo, but usually with a square wooden body, with goatskin on both sides.
Sometimes (pine) wood is used for this.

The (pine wood) neck is long and has two or three metal strings. Often the peghead has a
carving of a horse (very common around Mongolia). Some instruments have a few frets.
Nowadays the strings are the lower 3 guitar strings, tuned with 3 separate guitar tuners;
the long wooden pegs are just decoration.

Tuning could be C G c.

The doshpuluur is played strumming (usually only the first string

is fingered, the other string(s) are drones), to accompany throat
singing.

doshpuluur
example : left :
bought from Tuva via Choduraa Tumat from Tuva playing square box doshpuluur
eBay 2007 (from Russian website)
L=980 B=200
H=75mm
scale 610mm

You Tube
after one minuut

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 chanzy

In Tuva they use a second kind of plucked instrument, which is quite similar to the
shudraga and called the chanzy (also seen : chanzi and tyanzi). It is regarded as a special
shaped doshpuluur.

It is a kind of (round) banjo, with a (goat or snake) skin glued on the front of a round
wooden hoop. It has some decorative wooden box around it (made of triplex), in a kind of
heart shape (some call it kidney-shape). Usually it has two similar soundholes and some
painted decoration. The example instrument has a Ying-Yang shaped black plastic
scratchplate glued to the skin.

The neck is long and made of pine wood. Some models have frets,
others not or (like the example) only drawn on.
Like on the doshpuluur the three (nylon) strings are tuned by
modern guitar tuners - the long pegs are just for decoration.
Often the peghead has a carving of a horse (very common on
instruments around Mongolia). The strings run over a rather large
loose bridge on the skin to pegs on the bottom of the body.

Tuning could be F c f.

The chanzy is played strumming (usually only the first

chanzy
string is fingered, the other string(s) are drones), to
example :
accompany throat singing.
bought via internet
from Tuvatrader 2007

L=1000 B=360
H=40mm
scale 660mm

You Tube

from Russian website

top Japan
 shamisen

The shamisen (or samisen) is the most well known Japanese plucked instrument, which
arrived around the 16th C in mainland Japan via the Chinese sanxian and the Okinawa
sanshin. Both predecessors used python snake as skin, but for some reason the Japanese
started using the skin of dog, or cat (which is more expensive because you can get less skin
from one cat...). Nowadays also plastic is used like on western banjos. Putting on a skin at
the very high tension that is required, is work of specialists. As is the woodwork : the neck
is made of 3 pieces which fit together (with special lips and holes) so tightly that you can
hardly see the joins.

The body of the shamisen is made from 4 pieces of hardwood, joined so they make an
almost square hoop. On front and back a dog or cat skin is glued. The neck is made from 3
pieces of hard wood : one goes through the body, (with the endpin used to fix the strings
to); the middle is just a piece of neck and the top piece has the pegbox glued to it. The
fretless neck is halfround and has no fretboard. The pegbox has a curve backwards and
ends in a rather sharp edge - often protected by a piece of black plastic. The left side of the
body is protected with a piece of decorative cardboard.

The 3 silk strings can be tuned by 3 long wooden

tuning pegs on the side of the open pegbox : two on
the right, one on the left. The rim of the holes is made
of copper. The brass nut is only for the first 2 strings;
the 3rd runs over a cavity to make the string buzzing,
shamisen
like the biwa strings.
example : bought from
Ray Man Musicshop,
London 1990
The strings run over a loose small, neatly carved bamboo bridge, and are tied to 3 coloured
L=980 B=220
silk ropes. These are fixed to the end of the neck sticking through the body. By slightly
H=100mm
loosening the strings, these ropes come loose from the pin and the strings can be wound
scale 765mm
around the pegs, the neck taken in pieces and the entire shamisen fits in a small bag.

You Tube
The shamisen is played with an enormous triangular plectrum (of different kinds of wood,
but nowadays often made of plastic), which not only picks the strings, but also hits the skin
at certain notes.
The music is written in Japanese tablature, which gives quite detailed instructions how to
play. The shamisen comes in slightly different sizes for different types of music. The most
well known use is in the BUNRAKU puppet theater.

For more information see shammy, japan and hogaku.it shamisen (in Italian).

top
 biwa

The biwa is the Japanese lute, and looks much like its predecessor -the Chinese pipa.
However it is quite differently played and the sound is also completely different. There exist
several types of biwa, which differ in size and tuning. like the gaku biwa, the chikuzen biwa
and the satsuma biwa. For more information see japan and hogaku.it biwa (in Italian).

The body of the biwa is carved from one piece of hardwood, with a thin softwood
soundboard, slightly rounded. This has two half moon shaped soundholes, with bone inlay
around them. The back has vague carvings, like glued-on papers. The neck is part of the
body (although on the example both the neck and the pegbox can be taken separate). The
5 (or 4) high frets (and the top bridge) are made from small "piles" of different woods, with
a rounded top. The pegbox is square and bend backwards, ending in a kind of curl upwards.

The 4 (or 5) silk strings are tuned with long round wooden tuning pegs, 2 on each side of
the open bexbox. They are fixed to the bridge, which is a carved piece of wood glued to the
front, and has bone (?) decoration on the sides and around the string fixing holes.

The biwa is played with a big size triangular plectrum, which not only hits the strings but
also the soundboard. Often there is a piece of decorative leather or paper glued to the front
where the plectrum hits the wood. Because of the round shape of the top of the frets the
strings buzz, which is the typical sound of the biwa. Often the strings are pressed down
between the frets to get the pitches in between frets.

As biwas are rarely made anymore, you are lucky to find one - the example instrument has
biwa burn marks on the front, and missed the pegs and one fret, which are replaced by some
example : bought via look-alikes.
eBay, 2004

L=900 B=290
H=200mm
scale 710mm

You Tube

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 sanshin

The sanshin is a banjo, like the Chinese sanxian (where the name seems to come from) and
its close relative : the Japanese shamisen. It is the "national" instrument of Okinawa - one
of the Japanese islands.

The body of the sanshin is made from some pieces of wood glued together to form an
almost round hoop. On front and back a skin is glued. This used to be made from python,
but nowadays often a nylon skin with python imprint is used. The fretless neck with
(shamisen-style) pegbox is made from one piece of wood, painted all black. The 3 nylon
strings are tuned with 3 long round wooden pegs (often black with white endings), 2 on the
right and one on the left of the open pegbox. The strings run over a small loose plastic
bridge to a decorative piece of rope-knot which is hooked on a pin at the bottom of the
body. Around the body is a piece of cloth with embroidery with special Okinawa decoration
patterns.

The instrument is played with a special finger-like plectrum, which fits over the index finger.
It is made of horn or nowadays : plastic.

The sanshin is mainly used to accompany folk songs.

For more information see uruma.co.jp sanshin (in Japanese).

sanshin
example : bought via
eBay from Japan 2004

L=780 B=190 The special fingerpick to play the

H=75mm sanshin.
scale 600mm

You Tube

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 gekkin

The gekkin is the close relative of the Chinese yueh chin, and nowadays the instrument is
not made in Japan anymore. All instruments come from China.

The old instrument is almost the same : so two circles of softwood for soundboard and
back, joined by a narrow strip of hardwood for the sides. It has a separate neck, with a
sickle shape pegbox, ending in a decorative plate at the front with some woodcarving.
The strings are tuned with long rounded friction pegs, two on each side of the open pegbox.
Bamboo strips glued to the fingerboard are used as frets, usually in a full western scale.
Sometimes on the old Japanese instruments there was special decoration or even
soundholes on the soundboard.

The main difference (if any) with the Chinese yueh chin is that the gekkin does not have 4
silk strings in two double courses, but 3 or 4 separate steel strings.

Tuning could be a d' a' d".

It is played with a plectrum, but the gekkin is not often used anymore.

For more information see Gekkin (in Japanese).

gekkin
example : from eBay

L= B=H=mm
scale 00mm

top

taishogoto

Surprising to find the simple folk-like Indian bullbull

tarang (see India) to be quite popular in Japan,
where it is called taishogoto (also spelled: taisho-
koto). Maybe this is the reason why this instrument
is often called "Japanese Banjo". Some instruments
are electric and even have electronic devices
attached to it.
taishogoto
example : bought via eBay, 2008 Basically the taishogoto is a long acoustic sound
L=690 B=130 H=75mm scale 500mm box, with strings on top (close together), which can
be tuned on the left side, and strummed with a pick
on the right side. With the left hand you can press
typewriter-like keys, which press down small metal
bars on the strings, and work as frets (although
there are real frets as well).

The keys are usually numbered (both in India and

Japan, music is notated in numbers, like our do, re,
mi), according to their relative pitch.

Electronic taishogoto, from Japanese website Jamabika The taishogoto is usually played by large groups of
woman playing together popular music.

See more information here : Taishoharp.

 You Tube
normal playing
You Tube
special playing

top KOREA
 komungo

The komungo is a long zither, quite similar to the

Japanese koto, or the Korean kayagum. Although
zithers are excluded from this website, the komungo is
fretted so one string can be used for different pitches.

The body is made from usually paulownia wood,

hollowed out at the bottom like a half tube. The back,
and both ends are pieces of hardwood. There are 16
fixed frets for the 3 inner strings and 3 movable
bridges for the 3 outer strings (which are always
played open). The high frets are made of hardwood.

The 6 silk strings are at the players right side fixed to a

small piece of wood, and run from underneath through
a hole in the body, over the wide nut/bridge to the
other side of the zither and are there tied with a special
komungo knot to a long silk rope, which is tied to the end of the
example : from book Korean Musical Instruments by Keith body.
Howard

L=1500 B=200 H=60mm The komungo is played sitting crosslegged with the
scale 1300mm right side of the instrument on the lap. The strings are
not strummed with the fingers, but with a bamboo
You Tube stick as plectrum. Nevertheless, the sound is quite
similar to the koto and kayagum, which are always
played with (long) open strings.

top VIETNAM

In Vietnam most instrument resemble quite closely the Chinese ones, some even have
similar names. However some instruments only exist in Vietnam, like the Dan Day and Dan
Bau (DAN means LUTE).
In general the Vietnamese instruments nowadays seem to be very highly decorated, with
lots of inlayed mother-of-pearl all over the instrument.

Much information about Vietnamese instruments can be found on : vnstyle.vdc.com.vn

vietnam music.
 dan nguyet / dan kim

The Dan Nguyet or Dan Kim is a relative of the Chinese yueh chin or ruan, but with a much
longer neck and only two strings.

The front and back of the body of the Dan Nguyet are made from a round piece of
unvarnished soft wood (diameter of about 350 mm). The side is made of bended
hardwood, 60 mm in height. There is no soundhole. The neck is separate, without a
fingerboard and glued to the body. The peghead is made from one piece, slightly sickle
shaped and ending in a spade-like backward curve with some inlay decoration.

On both sides of the open pegbox is a long rounded tuning peg, ending with decorative
slices of different materials. Often the Dan Nguet still has holes for 4 pegs, but nowadays
only 2 strings (and pegs) are used.
The frets are pieces of hardwood, with the rim of bamboo. They are in a kind of pentatonic
scale, based on 7 intervals in an octave. Two nylon strings (tuned to a fifth or a fourth) run
to a carved wooden bridge, glued to the soundboard.

In the past fingernails were used to play Dan Nguyet. Nowadays, they play it with a plastic
or tortoise-shell plectrum.

Dan Nguyet is used to accompany singing, in ceremonial music and in the traditional
orchestra.

dan nguet / dan kim

example : bought via
internet from Hong
Nhung in Vietnam,
2006

L=1000 B=370 Vietnamese instruments are nowadays

H=60mm highly decorated with many mother-of-pearl
scale 720mm figures inlayed on sides, neck, pegbox and
bridge.
You Tube

top
 dan sen

The Dan Sen is a slightly smaller instrument than the Dan Nguyet, but is in fact made in
the same way.

The body of the Dan Sen has the shape of a flower (with 6 "petals") and two thin nylon
strings.
In addition to the different body shape compared to the Dan Nguyet, the frets of the Dan
Sen are fixed in a diatonic scale instead of the pentatonic scale of the Dan Nguyet, but still
based on 7 intervals in an octave.

The side of the body, the bridge, and the neck are highly decorated with inlay mother-of-
pearl.

It is only used in the Hat Boi (Traditional Drama) in South Vietnam.

detail of the
inlay on the
dan sen side of the
example : bought via dan sen
internet from Hong
Nhung in Vietnam,
2004

L=890 B=280
H=50mm
scale 630mm

You Tube

top

dan doan / dan nhat

The Dan Doan looks very similar to the Chinese yueh chin (moonguitar). It is sometimes
also called Dan Nhat.

The Dan Doan has a round thin sound box with a short neck and three (silk or nylon)
strings. The frets are strips of bamboo, glued to the neck and soundboard, in a diatonic
scale.

It is played with a plectrum.

dan doan / dan nhat

example : from website
Vietnam shop

L= B=00 H=0mm
scale mm

top

dan day

The Dan Day is the main lute of the Viet majority. Its literary name is "Vo de cam" or
"bottom-less lute". It can be found only in Vietnam.

The sound box of a Dan Day has the shape of a trapezium of hardwood with sides of 28x20
cm, and a depth of 6 cm. The soundboard is made of unvarnished light softwood.

The back is also softwood, but with a rectangular sound hole,

covered with a wooden rosette. The very long neck (about 80 cm
body to nut) is glued into the body (it seems to go right to the
bottom with a pole) and continues into the peghead, which widens in
a curved banian leaf shape. It has 3 long rounded pegs : two at the
right and one at the left side of the pegbox which is open on the
back.

There are no frets on the top half of the neck, only lower down are 10 high frets, made of
hardwood with a rim of bamboo. The 3 nylon strings run to a box- shaped bridge, glued to
the front.
The tuning of the Dan Day is in 4ths. When the player presses at the first fret over the
three strings, the three tones are : g c' f'.

dan day The playing of the traditional Dan Day lute differs from other lutes by
example : bought via something peculiar : open strings are never played.
internet from Hong
Ngung in Vietnam,
It is used exclusively by men to accompany the "A Dao" singing
2004
genre in North Vietnam.
L=1240 B=230
H=55mm
scale 940mm

You Tube

top
 dan tam

This three-stringed banjo-lute is used by several ethnic groups in Vietnam. The Viet call it
Dan Tam, whereas the Ha Nhi call it Ta in.
The Dan Tam exists in three sizes: large, medium, and small. The small one is the most
popular. It is quite similar to the Chinese sanxian, and a relative of the Japanese shamisen,
and the Mongolian shanz.

The sound box of the Dan Tam is oval-shaped, with (python) snake skin on the front. In
fact the front is rounded wood, with a small square hole in the middle; the skin seems to
be glued to the rounded edge.

The back and sides of the body are made of wood. The back has a carved soundhole. The
neck is made of hard wood and fretless. There are three round wooden pegs, two on the
right, one on the left of the open pegbox. The three strings were traditionally made of
twisted silk, but are nowadays usually nylon. They run through a small wooden device
bound to the neck that can slide up and down, providing a movable nut (and scale length).
Tuning is normally f c' f'.

Playing is with a plastic plectrum. The tones of the Dan Tam are bright and cheerful. The
techniques for the left hand include tremolos, trills, picking, stopping and especially sliding.
Full tones, three-quarter tones and quarter-tones can be played. The Dan Tam is often part
of an orchestra accompanying Cheo drama.

Left : the back of the body

dan tam with the soundhole.
example : bought via
eBay, 2006

L=900 B=150
H=80mm
scale ~550mm
Right : the rounded front with
the python skin.

top

dan tyba

The Dan Tyba is very much similar to the Chinese pipa. The main difference is that the top
six frets are not triangular, but just the same high strips of wood that are used for the rest
of the frets. They are in a heptatonic scale.

Nowadays the instruments in Vietnam seem to be very highly decorated with mother of
pearl inlay; not only the neck and bridge, but also the back of the body.

The 4 strings are made of nylon, and tuned g c' d' g'.

The player uses a plectrum and plucks either upward or downward in a quick run. The
technique for left hand, which presses the strings, includes glissando, staccato, arpeggio
and tremolo. The Dan Tyba music is light and cheerful. The instrument is played solo or as
part of an orchestra or a band accompanying the singing of Hue melodies or operas.

dan tyba
example : from
website Vietnam shop

L= B= H=mm
scale mm

You Tube

top

dan bau

The Dan Bau is a monocord, a very typical Vietnamese instrument, as it is only played
here.

The body is basically a large box, made of hardwood, about a meter long. The bottom is
closed with some flat soft wood. The top is covered with softwood too, but in a slightly
concave shape.
There is one metal string which runs from the right side over a tiny bridge through a hole
in the top to the back, where it can be tuned by a tuning peg - or nowadays often a huge
single tuning machine from a bass guitar.
The string runs slightly upwards to the left side where it is fixed to a long flexible pole
made of horn, which stands on the soundbox and ends in a curl. At the fixing point of the
string a small round wooden "hat" (formerly a small gourd) is loosely fitted over the pole.
As with all Vietnamese instruments the Dan Bau is highly decorated with inlay of mother-
of-pearl.

The way of playing is to lay the Dan Bau on a table and hold the pole with the left hand.
With the right hand the string is plucked with a long wooden plectrum, and by touching the
string at the same time with the side of the right hand flageolets are produced. This is
quite tricky as there are no visible orientation points to find the proper spots. However
according to legend, the Dan Bau was traditionally played by blind (!) musicians. By
bending the pole with the left hand a vibrato, sliding sounds and all notes in between the
(few) flageolet notes can be produced.
Today, Dan Bau takes part in the ensembles of theatrical music, and even in groups
dan bau playing modern music.
example : bought via
eBay 2002

L=1030 B=85 H=60mm

scale 910mm

You Tube

The example is a newer model and designed to fold in half for easy transport and even has
a single pickup for electric amplifying.

top
 ghita

The ghita (or Dan Ghi-ta) is a remarkable guitar-shaped instrument, but typical of the
Vietnamese instruments. It is also called luc huyen cam.

The story is that the Vietnamese who emigrated to USA in the 1930's were eager to get an
instrument that could be played like their home instruments - when you pluck a thin string
between high frets (like on the Dan Nguyet for instance) you can easily bend the tone up
by pressing a bit harder. To reach that same effect on a guitar (which was easy to buy in
USA) they scraped the fingerboard between the frets in a scalloped way. The frets were left
in place. (This is now also done by some guitar players to ease very fast playing). The
number of strings was reduced to 5 and tuned in an open tuning, like c f c' g' c''.

The example instrument is actually made in

Vietnam (in a hybrid Fender fashion), with 6
tuning machines, but 5 strings, over a loose
bridge. The instrument seems to have been
bashed about quite a lot and is even painted
at some stage. However the special
ghita scalloped fingerboard has survived it all.
example : bought via
eBay, 2003

L=980 B=390
H=85mm
scale 630mm

You Tube

top
 dan tinh

Dan Tinh is a kind of banjo, played by some ethnic groups in north Vietnam. The Tay and
Nung calls it Tinh Then, while the Thai ethnic group calls it Tinh Tau (Tinh means a lute and
Tau means a gourd).

The body of the Dan Tinh is made from a thick, round bottle-gourd. On the back are 6
small soundholes. The front is often made from thin cinnamon wood whioch is glued in the
rim of the cut-off gourd. The bridge is a trapezium-shape small piece of wood, loose on the
front.

The neck of instrument is made of one piece of some hardwood (often Thung muc or
strawberry wood) and goes with a pin through the gourd and sticks out at the bottom.
Traditionally the length of a Tinh lute is equal to 0.9x the fists length of the player (or 75-
90 cm). Experience shows that this length would best fit with the players voice. There are
no frets.

The tuning head is in the shape of a sickle (or a bird) and has two round friction pegs, one
on each side. Formerly, the strings were made from silk, polished with beeswax or the
resin of sweet potato leaves. Nowadays they are replaced by normal (less tasty...) nylon
strings. They are fastened to the neck pin at the bottom of the body.

Dan Tinh has either two or three strings. The two-string Tinh is tuned at a fourth or fifth.
The three-string Tinh is the same, with the 3th string tuned an octave lower than the high
string.
dan tinh
example : bought via The Dan Tinh is played with a plectrum. Fingering techniques are mainly slipping,
internet from Hong glissando, slurring, mordent and vibrating.
Ngung in Vietnam,
2006
Dan Tinh is used by several ethnic groups to accompany singing. It is normally played by
L=1100 B=390 men only, but in Then of the Tay ethnic group it is played by women only.
H=115mm
scale 730mm

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