200px, ''taphon'' The taphon ( th, ตะโพน, ) is a traditional drum of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular

congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...

. Originally called the Sa Phon, the taphon is used in the classical Thai wind-and-percussion ensemble called ''

piphat A ''piphat'' is a kind of ensemble in the classical music of Thailand, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compositions of the ...

''. Moreover, it is the most commonly used drum in Thai folk music, and is performed often in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Often used to accompany performances in Thai shrines which are meant to entertain the resident god in offering, it is considered a particularly sacred instrument in the Thai culture, and is generally kept in a higher place than other instruments. In many cases, designs are woven into the middle section of the taphon. The ''taphon'' is very similar to the Cambodian ''

sampho The ''samphor'' ( km, សំភោរ; also romanized as ''sampho'') is a small, 2-headed barrel drum indigenous to Cambodia, approximately .35 meter wide by .5 meter long. It has two heads, with one drumhead being larger than the other and is p ...

''. An example of the taphon being played:

References

Hand drums Thai musical instruments Sacred musical instruments {{Membranophone-instrument-stub

See also

References