|
PhlengKar
Ensembles
The PhlengKar ensemble plays the music
of weddings, and few villages in Cambodia are
without one. It is made up of seven wind,
string, and percussive instruments, and vocals.
Cambodian wedding ceremonies can last up to
three days and nights, and are accompanied by
music almost continuously. Originally,
PhlengKar music was thought to have a
blessing power that made it too important to
risk allowing young, inexperienced men to play,
so PhlengKar ensembles were restricted to
the oldest and most serious musicians.
PhlengKar was once before played like
in the Pinpeat esembles, but without any
string instruments and without any vocals using
only percussions. During the ancient time
PhlengKar did not exist with any wind and
string instruments. The traditional folk-musical
ensemble or wedding-musical ensemble was first
originated in the first century B.C, when the
first Khmer queen Neang Naga married to
Preah Thaong. The ensembles has used its
own discovery to 133 musical theme melodies.
Due to the modern changes many of the
instruments were taken out of the Phlengkar
ensembles. So then it would be now call small
and large ensembles
**Small
Ensembles**
---Tro-Sau Tuch(2 strings
violin)
---Tro-ou ( 2 strings bass violin)
---Khim (many strings harp)
---Ta-ka / Ka-puh (Alligator) (3 strings) =
Replaced the Chapei Dong Veng
---Skor Dai (Snake Skin Drum)
---Chung (bells)
---Kloy (Recorder or Flute)
---Vocals (Male and Female)
**Large
Ensembles**
---Include all of above
---Tro-Sau Thom (Similar
to Tro Sau Tuch)
---Tro Khmer: Also known
as Tro Kse Bey (3 Strings)
---Tro Ske Diev (Metal
String)
---Chapei Dong Veng
(Replaced by the Takhe / Ka-puh)
---Pie Au & Pie Pok (Buzz
sound / Low and High Pitch)
|
 |
|
Click on the image to detail Description
of each instruments
|
|
|
Tro Sau Tuch or Thom |
The Tro
Sau Thom simply as "Tro Sau" only is a bowed stringed musical instrument, larger than
the “Tro Sau Tuch” and is used in “Mohowrri”* music.
The Tro
Sau Thom is made from black wood, “Kra Nhung” or “Neang
Nung”, earlier on in the history of Mohowrri, more basic
materials were used, such as hollow bamboo and tortoise
shell.
This
instrument has a sound box, called “Bompung Tro” which
is around 120mm long and 90mm wide and is covered with
snake or lizard skin. The neck is long, measuring 620mm
and is made or black wood, “Kra Nhung” or Neang Nung”.
Aroung the scroll, or ornamentation. Controlling the
tension of the two strings are two tuning pegs, the
highest being 205mm long and lower peg of 191mm in
length.
The bow
stick is made of hard wood and the hair of either horse
tail, pineapple fibers or fine animal hair fibers. Both
ends of the hair are then tied to the upper and lower
parts of the bow sticks.
Continue
More
Details...
Note: Tro
Sau Tuch and
Thom are
made the
same way but
Thom is just
a little bit
bigger. The
definition
of the
instruments
is the same
as the Tro
Sau Thom. |
|
|
Tro Ou Khmer |
The Tro
Ou is a stringed instrument which is bowed. It has been
used in wedding music since the Chattomuk, Longvek and
Udong periods and it still used in weddings today.
The
sound box is made of mature coconut shell, with one open
side covered with snake or thin flat wood such as
“Rolous” or “Spoung”.
The
neck of the Tro Ou is hardwood, “Kra Nhung”, “Neang Nung”
or black wood. The neck is around 75cm long, with the
upper end quite large in width, tapering down to a
slender base. The strings are attached to two turning
pegs at the top of the instrument. The lower pitched
string is called “Kse Gor” and the higher “Kse Ex”.
Resonance is created within the sound box and by a small
piece of wood (“young”- bridge) round 4cm high. Placed
in the middle of the snake skin, the bridge, serves to
elevate the strings.
Approximately 20cm below the tuning pegs the strings
are tied to the neck with a piece of cotton thread
called Kse Kor, (neck strings). This along with the pegs
controls tension, and if moved up or down, alters the
pitch.
Continue
More
Details... |
|
|
Takhe Khmer
Ka-puh (Alligator) |
The
Takhe is probably the most recent of the Khmer classical
instruments. The origin of the Takhe comes from the
“Chapei Dong Veng” instrument. These two instruments are
very similar, in fact from above they look almost
identical. However, from the side the Chapei is flatter
and can be played with the instrument on the lap, where
as the Takhe is free-standing.
The
Takhe usually has three to five legs supporting it. When
performing, the player sits beside the instrument. The
left hand runs up and down the strings, while the right
hand plucks them using a plectrum. The word “Takhe”
means alligator or crocodile, as the instrument from
above resembles the shape of one, in addition, the frets
are also rather like crocodile’s teeth. Older models of
the Takhe have a carved alligator crocodile’s head to
enhance this image. Now this is rarely so and the
decoration lies in the ornamented on the side of the
instrument.
The
basic shape of the instrument is rectangular with the
front part (or head) pointed, while the body, “Thung” is
wider.
Continue
More
Details...
Note: Takhe
is actually
a Thai word.
The
originality
of the
instrument
was once
call Ka-phu
because the
head of the
instrument
was carve
like an
alligator
head. |
|
|
Khin Tuch
|
The
Khim Tuch is a tuned percussion instrument originally
used in “Bassac”* music. It is still extremely popular
amongst the Cambodian people today.
The
Khim Tuch (small Khim) can be found in many of the music
ensembles or orchestras, (Such as “Mohowrri” and
“Aye-aye,”) along with other instruments such as the
“Tro Sau”, “Tro Ou”, “Takhe”, “Kloy”, “Skor
Dai” and “Ching”.
The
Khim Tuch is shaped like a butterfly and is made of
hardwood, “Phdeak” or “Kor Ki”. The sound board and the
back wall are made from “Spoung” wood. There are four
main rows of frets, two on the right and two on the
left, both rows on the left are played, but only one is
played on the right.
Traditionally there were seven beating points between
the fret rows. Now, however, they have been extended to
eight or ten beating points making the tuning process
much easier.
Continue
More
Details... |
|
|
Skor Dai |
The Skor Dai or Skor
Arak is a small drum which is used in the performance of
“Arak” music, wedding music, “Aye Yai” music, and folk
dances.
The Skor Dai used to be
made of clay, but this was found to be material which
was easily broken, so wood then replace the clay.
“Khnor” wood is normally used, which is both light and
tough. The head of the drum is round and flat. The tail
is shaped like the neck of a water jar. Traditionally,
beautiful designs were carved on the top of the
instrument.
The Skor Dai is around
40cm long and the head is 15cm wide. Snake or lizard
skin is used to cover the drum head, as this skin type
is thought to make a good sound. The skin must be wet
before covering the head of the Skor, where it is
tightly fastened with fine cane or cow strings. As the
skin dries, the tension remains tight because of the
strings.
Continue
More
Details... |
|
|
Ching |
The
Ching is a simple percussion instrument. Made of brass
mixed with copper, it consists of two small plates
around 8cm in diameter. By using two kinds of metal, the
sound produced is much sharper than if only one is used.
The
center of the two plates are raised and though the
middle of each one, a hole is bored in order to pass
through a piece of string. The string is attached to
both plates and the Ching player uses the string to
strike the plates together without actually touching the
metal, thus allowing the player to make a clear sound.
The
sound produced when striking the plates just on the
edges is a clear “Ching” sound, hence the name. When
the plates are directly closed over each other, the
sound is a dampened “Chhop”.
Continue
More
Details... |
|
|
Kloy |
The
Kloy, (Cambodian flute) is said to have originated from
around the seventh century. Records of its existence
have been found in carvings on ancient stone pillars,
dating from around the year 611 AD. The carvings shows a
group of four musicians; playing “Pin Peat” music,. With
one playing the “Pin” and the other three the
Samphor,
the Ching and the
Kloy.
The
Kloy was originally performed only in the more formal
Pin Peat orchestra, but gradually its use has expanded
into the Mohowrri and Bassac orchestras. This instrument
is probably one of the most popular amongst the Khmer
people and is found all over Cambodia. Perhaps this is
because it is simple to play and easy to make.
In the
early days of Kloy, there were only four finger holes.
The number later increased to six and then to eight.
Around the country, a variety of Kloy can be found and
the pitches vary according to the length and width of
the instrument.
Continue
More
Details...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
