The phin pia is a chest-resonated stick

zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat bo ...

with two to five strings. It is considered the national instrument of

Northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thailand ...

. The one string version (equivalent to the Cambodian

Kse diev The kse diev ( km, ខ្សែដៀវ) or ( km, ខ្សែមួយ) is a Cambodian musical bow with a single copper or brass string and a gourd resonator. The resonator is held to the bow with a nylon cord and is open at the other end. The ...

) is the phin namtao.

References

External links

The Traditional Music of Thailand By David Morton, Chen Duriyanga (Phra) p.91 has pictures of phin pia and phin namtao.Article on JSTOR, The Pia's Subtle Sustain: Contemporary Ethnic Identity and the Revitalization of the Lanna "Heart Harp," Andrew McGraw, Asian Music, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Summer - Autumn, 2007), pp. 115-142. [Subscription required]
Thai musical instruments Stick zithers {{zither-instrument-stub