Traditional Cambodian musical instruments are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical music of

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

. They comprise a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments, used by both the Khmer majority as well as the nation's

ethnic minorities The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

. File:Shoulder-mounted nipple gong at Angkor Wat.jpg, Soldiers carry drums and a shoulder-mounted nipple gong in relief at Angkor Wat. File:Kse diev at Angkor Wat, North Section, 16th Century.jpg, Kse diev at Angkor Wat, North Section, 16th Century. File:Kongpeat from Angkor Wat.jpg, Khmer gong chimes from Angkor Wat.

Woodwind

Flute

Khloy A khloy ( km, ខ្លុយ, Burmese: ပုလွေ, ) is an ancient traditional bamboo flute from Cambodia and more specifically the Khmer people. The khloy and other similar bamboo flutes can be found throughout Asia, due to bamboo’s abu ...

( km, ខ្លុយ) - vertical duct flute made of bamboo, hardwood, or plastic, with buzzing membrane ** Khloy ek - smaller in size ** Khloy thom - larger in size

Free-reed

Sneng The sneng or snaeng ( km, ស្នែង, "horn") is an aerophone made from an ox horn or water buffalo horn. It is loud enough to call across a distance and has been used in rural environments to signal mealtimes, give warning, call for help ...

( km, ស្នែង) -

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

or ox horn with a single free reedphoto
/sup> * Pey pok ( km, ប៉ីពក) - free-reed pipe While similar to a flute, it uses a single reed to create sound.photo
/sup> * Ploy ( km, ព្លយខ្មែរ) (also called ''m'baut'') - mouth organ with gourd body and five to seven bamboo pipes; used by Mon-Khmer-speaking upland ethnic minorities *

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Khaen The ''khene'' (; spelled "Can" in English; Lao: ແຄນ; th, แคน, , ; km, គែន - ''Ken''; Vietnamese: ''khèn'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out h ...

( km, គែន) - free-reed mouth organ used in northwestern Cambodia * Angkouch ( km, អង្គួច) (also called ''kangkuoch'') - jaw harp made of bamboo or metal

Quadruple Reed

Sralai The ''sralai'' ( km, ស្រឡៃ) is a Cambodian wind instrument that uses a quadruple reed to produce sound. The instrument is used in the '' pinpeat'' orchestra, where it is the only wind instrument. The set of quadruple reeds are made of p ...

( km, ស្រឡៃ) - quadruple-reed oboe **Sralai toch ( km , ស្រឡៃតូច) - small quadruple-reed oboe **Sralai thom ( km , ស្រឡៃធំ )- large quadruple-reed oboe * Pey ar ( km, ប៉ីអៃ) (also spelled ''beyaw'', and also called ''bey prabauh'') - oboe with cylindrical bore

Horns

* Saing - conch horn

Other

Slek The musical leaf is one of any leaves which is used to play music on. It goes by many names, including leaflute, leaf flute, leaf whistle, gum leaf, and leafophone. In Cambodia it is called a ''slek'' () and is played by country people in Cambod ...

- tree leaf used as a wind instrument

String

Bowed

* Tro () - fiddle **

Tro Khmer The ''tro Khmer'' () is a traditional bowed string instrument from Cambodia. Its body is made from a special type of coconut covered on one end with snake skin, and it has three strings. Instruments are not standardized, and coconuts vary in ...

() - three-string vertical spike fiddle with coconut shell body; used in classical music **

Tro che The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

() - high-pitched two-string vertical fiddle, with face covered with snakeskin **

Tro sau toch The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

() - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music **

Tro sau thom The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where it ...

() - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music **

Tro u The ''tro'' ( km, ទ្រ) is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming a spike, on the bottom side where ...

(also spelled ''tro ou'') () - lower two-string vertical fiddle with a coconut shell body, with face covered with calfskin or snakeskin; used in classical musicphoto
/sup>

Plucked

Chapei dong veng The Chapei Dang Veng ( Khmer: ចាប៉ីដងវែង) or chapey (ចាប៉ី) is a Cambodian two-stringed, long-necked guitar that is usually plucked. It has two double courses of nylon strings. The top and bottom strings are typicall ...

() - plucked fretted lute *

Kong ring The kong ring or gung treng (Khmer: គង់រេង) is a Cambodian tube zither, in which a tube of bamboo is used as a resonator for stings that run along the outside of the tube, lengthwise. It has the same musical purpose as the " bossed g ...

- bamboo

tube zither The tube zither is a stringed musical instrument in which a tube functions both as an instrument's neck and its soundbox. As the neck, it holds strings taut and allows them to vibrate. As a soundbox or it modifies the sound and transfers it to ...

, can play thet drum's part *

Krapeu The ''chakhe'' ( Lao: ຈະເຂ້, , th, จะเข้, , also spelled ''jakhe'' or ''ja-khe''), or ''krapeu'' ( km, ក្រពើ; also called ''takhe'', km, តាខេ, ''takhe'', ''takkhe'' or ''charakhe''), is a fretted floor zithe ...

(also called ''takhe'') - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings *

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 ...

( km, ខ្សែដៀវ) or ( km, ខ្សែមួយ) - chest-resonated stick zither)photo
/sup> *

Pin A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...

- Cambodian harp, ancient instrument reborn in modern times

Struck

Khim The ''khim'' ( th, ขิม ; lo, ຂິມ ; km, ឃឹម ) is a stringed musical instrument derived from the Mesopotamian or Persian Santur. It is similar to the Hammered Dulcimer or Cimbalom. This ''khim'' was introduced to Thailand fro ...

() - hammered dulcimer

Percussion

Drums

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 ...

(សម្ភោរ)- barrel drum, played with the hands *

Skor Skor is a chocolate toffee bar produced by The Hershey Company. It was first marketed in the United States in 1981 and in Canada starting in 1983. The Skor bar consists of a thin slab of butter toffee covered in a milk chocolate coating. Skor ...

(also spelled ''sko'') - long skor drum **

Skor thom The ''Skor thom'' ( km, ស្គរធំ) are Cambodian 2-headed barrel drums played with a pair of wooden drumsticks. They typically have skin heads made from oxen, cows or buffalos, and are played in pairs. The drums are tuned such that one wi ...

(ស្គរធំ)- pair of large barrel drums, played with sticks **

Skor yike The skor yike (Khmer: ស្គរយីកេ) is a family of Cambodian frame drums used in Yike theater. There are as many as 13 different sizes, including the largest, the skor mei (approximately 2 feet across, 25 centimeters/9 inches deep) ...

(ស្គរយីកេ) - flat skor drum, played with hands and used in

Yike ''Yike'' ( km, យីកេ, pronounced ) is a prominent form of Cambodian musical theater, along with Bassac theater and Niyeai. "Lakhon Yike" (Khmer:ល្ខោន យីកេ, literally Yike theater) incorporates singing and dancing and ...

dance drama * Thon,

Skor daey The skor daey (ស្គរដៃ "hand drum" or "clay drum") is a short goblet drum from Cambodia, approximately 40 centimeters tall and 15 centimeters wide at the top. There are two common goblet drums there, the skor chhaiyam (Khmer: ស្ ...

and skor arak - goblet-shaped drums, played with the handsphoto
/sup> * Rumana - frame drum, played with the hands

Gong chimes

* Kong vong toch (also called ''kong toch'') - small gong circle * Kong vong thom (also called ''kong thom'') - large gong circle * Kong mon (also called ''kong mon'') - small gong chime shaped curved

Xylophone

Roneat Roneat ( km, រនាត) is the generic Khmer word for referring to several types of xylophones used in traditional Cambodian music; the pinpeat and mohaori. Roneat may refers to several Cambodian xylophone types such as roneat thmor, roneat e ...

()- trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Khmer classical and theater music **

Roneat ek The ''Roneat Ek'' or Roneat Aek ( km, រនាតឯក; also called ''Roneat Rut'') is a xylophone used in the Khmer classical music of Cambodia. It is built in the shape of a curved, rectangular shaped boat. It has twenty-one thick bamboo or ha ...

- smaller xylophone **

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 ...

- larger xylophone **

Roneat dek Roneat ( km, រនាត) is the generic Khmer word for referring to several types of xylophones used in traditional Cambodian music; the pinpeat and mohaori. Roneat may refers to several Cambodian xylophone types such as roneat thmor, roneat ...

- smaller metallophone **

Roneat thong Roneat ( km, រនាត) is the generic Khmer word for referring to several types of xylophones used in traditional Cambodian music; the pinpeat and mohaori. Roneat may refers to several Cambodian xylophone types such as roneat thmor, roneat e ...

larger metallophone; no longer used

Gongs

* Kong vong or

kong thom The kong thom (Khmer: គងធំ) is Cambodian musical instrument, a hanging gong. The name may also refer to the kong von thom The kong von thom or ''kong thom'' ( km, គងធំ) plays a melodic line in the Cambodian '' pinpeat'' ensemb ...

( km, គងធំ) - single suspended gong

Clappers

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() - pair of flat bamboo or hardwood sticks

Cymbals

* Ching ( ឈិង) - pair of small cymbals used to mark time * Chap - pair of flat cymbals

Woodblocks

* Pan - woodblock * Nay pay - pellow * Sindang - small size woodblocks

Occasions

Traditional Cambodian musical instruments play a significant role in the Cambodian culture.May M. Ebihara, Carol Anne Mortland, Judy Ledgerwood. "Cambodian Culture Since 1975: Homeland and Exile". Cornell University Press, 1994 These instruments are typically used during royal events, weddings, and festivals. For weddings and royal events, the musicians playing the instruments would wear traditional Cambodian attire. Just like the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

, with regard to playing context, there is no conductor in traditional Cambodian music because musicians generally learned and memorized how to play the instruments aurally. These instruments provide a sense of identity for the Cambodian people.

References

External links

The traditional music and instruments of CambodiaRebuilding the musical instruments of the ancient Khmer
26 February 2016. tuk-tuk.tv
Mysteries of the Khmer harp
9 April 2016. tuk-tuk.tv {{DEFAULTSORT:Traditional Cambodian Musical Instruments