The ''kèn'' () is an instrument used in traditional Vietnamese music. It has a

double reed A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece and c ...

and a conical wooden body. It produces a powerful and penetrating high-pitched sound, similar to the Chinese ''

suona ''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "Sur ...

'', the Korean ''

taepyeongso The ''taepyeongso'' (lit. "big peace wind instrument"; also called ''hojok'', ''hojeok'' 호적 號笛/ 胡笛, ''nallari'', or ''saenap'', 嗩吶) is a Korean double reed wind instrument in the shawm or oboe family, probably descended from th ...

'', the Thai ''Pi'', and the Persian/Indian ''

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating 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.Tai peoples Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, an ...

, who call it the "Pí Lè", and the

Muong people The Mường (Mường language: ngài Mõl (Mường Bi), ngài Mường; ) are an ethnic group native to northern Vietnam. The Mường is the country's third largest of 53 minority groups, with an estimated population of 1.45 million (accor ...

, who call it the "Bi". The name "Kèn" is also used to informally refer to Gourd mouth organs. The best-known player of the ''kèn'' is the award-winning musician Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh (b. 1956), who is acknowledged as a "national treasure" in Vietnam, where he is known as "Khánh of the kèn."

Varieties

Kèn bầu The ''kèn bầu'' () is one of several types of kèn, a double reed wind instrument used in the traditional music of Vietnam. It is similar in construction and sound to the Chinese ''suona'' and the Korean ''taepyeongso''. It comes in var ...

- with a wooden bell carved in a gourd shape; comes in several sizes *

Kèn đám ma The ''kèn đám ma'' (, " funeral oboe") is one of several types of kèn, a double reed wind instrument used in the traditional music of northern Vietnam. It has a conical bore and is similar in construction and sound to the Chinese ''suona'' and ...

- with a metal bell; used for funerals in northern Vietnam

References

External links

lotusandlightning.com
(A page with streaming audio samples of Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh playing the kèn) Double-reed instruments Vietnamese musical instruments {{DoubleReed-instrument-stub