The ''ranat thum'' ( th, ระนาดทุ้ม, ) is a low pitched

xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in the ...

used in the music of Thailand. It has 18 wooden keys, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ''ranat ek'', but it is lower and wider. It is usually played in accompaniment of a ''ranat ek''. ''ranat thum'' bars are typically made from

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

, although instruments with

rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...

(''

Dalbergia oliveri ''Dalbergia oliveri'' is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae which grows in tree form to 15 – 30 meters in height (up to 100 ft.). The fruit is a green pod containing one to two seeds which turn brown to black when ripe. It is thre ...

''; th, ไม้ชิงชัน; ''mai ching chan'') bars can also be found. It is similar to a Cambodian xylophone called ''

roneat thung The ''roneat thung'' or ''roneat thum'' ( km, រនាតធុង) is a low-pitched xylophone used in the Khmer classical music of Cambodia. It is built in the shape of a curved, rectangular shaped boat. This instrument plays an important part i ...

''.

External links

Sound sample''ranat thum'' page
{{Authority control Thai musical instruments Keyboard percussion instruments