Khim
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The ''khim'' ( th, ขิม ; lo, ຂິມ ;  km, ឃឹម ) is a
stringed musical instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the st ...
derived from the Mesopotamian or Persian Santur. It is similar to the
Hammered Dulcimer The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set before the musician, who in more trad ...
or
Cimbalom The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
. This ''khim'' was introduced to
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 ...
from
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, where a similar (though, since the late 20th century, usually larger) instrument is called ''
yangqin The trapezoidal yangqin () is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, likely derived from the Iranian santur or the European dulcimer. It used to be written with the characters 洋 琴 (lit. "foreign zither"), but over time the first character changed t ...
,'' and introduced to Lao and
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 Thailand t ...
from Thailand later. It is played with two flexible bamboo sticks with soft leather at the tips to produce a soft tone. This instrument can be played by either sitting down on the floor with the khim on the floor, or by sitting on a chair or standing while the ''khim'' is on a stand. The ''khim'' produces a bright and expressive sound when played. It is made of wood, with
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
strings that are laid across the instrument. The
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...
-born musician and vocal artist
Lisa Gerrard Lisa Germaine Gerrard (; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with music partner Brendan Perry. She is known for her unique singing style technique ( ...
specialises in the use of a ''khim'' hammered dulcimer, featuring its music on several albums and performing with the instrument live on tour.


History

The ''khim'' came to China from Persia during the Ming-Qing dynasty (1368-1911) and was popular in the northeast of the Kwang Tung territory. At the end of the Ayutthaya period, Thai people obtained the knowledge of how to build and play early versions of the ''khim'' from China. This instrument, along with its rise in popularity, came along with various other goods in trading arrangements with Chinese merchants. While the popularity of
Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
was rising, the instrument became popular due to its use within the opera group and this helped to further familiarise Thai people with the ''khim''. The khim was an especially popular instrument from around 1970-2004 because it was a central part in the Thai novel ''
Khu Kam ''Koo Kam'' (Thai: คู่กรรม) is a Thai novel written by Thommayanti. It was adapted into a 1996 film, '' Sunset at Chaopraya'', and a 2013 remake that shared the same name. Plot summary Set in 1939, the early days of World War II ...
'', which was later produced as a drama series and movie. The main character could play the ''khim'' very well, and the adaptations popularised the instrument with the song, "Nang Kruan".


Shape


Butterfly shape

This shape is the smallest size which contains two bridges with 7 notes (in ''khim'', one note means 3 strings join together) and 42 strings. This shape is the original shape which was from China. From the past until these days, the popularity of this shape is still increasing


Irregular rectangle shape or trapezoid

This shape is the bigger size of ''khim'' with two bridges and 9, 11, or 15 notes. This trapezoid-shaped ''khim'' is very convenient to carry because it is a portable ''khim'' that is easy to carry.


Oval shape

This is the latest design with two bridges, 7 notes and 42 strings, which is also called a fancy ''khim''. This shape is often painted with deep or bright color, and children who play the ''khim'' usually stick the cartoon sticker on the box. It is very attractive for children as it looks like a toy for them and the size of this shape is suitable for small children as well.


Construction


The bridge (Fret)

The bridge is a wooden device for the stringed musical instrument which support their strings and transfers the vibration from the strings to the other structural of the instrument. ''Khim'' has two bridges and there are many notes on the bridge bases on the different type of ''khim''


Two bridges with 7 notes and 42 strings

Standard size that is popular among the primary students for beginning lessons. Lowest note ล (La2 or A2) left side, bass bridge. Middle note ล (La3 or A3) right side, treble bridge. Highest note ล (La4 or A4) left side, treble bridge.


Two bridges with 9 notes and 54 strings

This is popular among ''khim'' musicians because it has more selection on sound.


Two bridges with 11 notes and 66 strings

The 66-string ''khim'' is a large instrument and very heavy. People who play this type of ''khim'' should be the musician who has a high degree of performance skill. It can be tuned to the level of international scale as it has many strings. This is made for professional musicians and only used for special occasions.


Soundbox

Using a various type of wood to build the
soundbox A sound box or sounding box (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a musical instrument which modifies the sound of the instrument, and helps transfer that sound to the surrounding air. Objects respond more strongly to vib ...
. To construct the soundboard,
softwood file:Pinus sylvestris wood ray section 1 beentree.jpg, Scots Pine, a typical and well-known softwood Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as conifers. The term is opposed to hardwood, which is the wood from angiosperm trees. The main diff ...
is the best selection to construct the soundboard. Softwood has a light texture which helps creating the sound.


Sound holes

Sound hole A sound hole is an opening in the body of a stringed musical instrument, usually the upper sound board. Sound holes have different shapes: * round in flat-top guitars and traditional bowl-back mandolins; * F-holes in instruments from the vio ...
s are the holes on the soundboard to enhance the bright sound and prevent the humidity in the soundbox which creates the swelling of the wood.


Tuning pins and Hitch pins

The hitch pins are on the left side of the sound-box and tuning pins are on the right side. There are 42 pins on each side. Tuning this instrument is very easy but time consuming. The player inserts a type of wrench on the pins that stick up from the sides, but only turns the pins on the right side. Turning the pins on the left side can cause the string to break. Then the player turns the wrench which tightens or loosens the string to the desired pitch.


Strings

The ''khim''’s string is a brass 24 gauge string. It is being hitched on the hitch pins on the left side of the sound box. There are 14 groups of strings on the ''khim'', and each group has 3 strings. Overall, the ''khim'' has a total of 42 strings


References


See also

*
Hammered dulcimer The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set before the musician, who in more trad ...
*
Cimbalom The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
* Santur {{Authority control Hammered box zithers Cambodian musical instruments Thai musical instruments Laotian musical instruments