The ''khlui'' ( th, ขลุ่ย, ) is a vertical duct

bamboo flute The bamboo flute, especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known. Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists. While the oldest flutes currently k ...

from

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 b ...

. Originated before or during the

Sukhothai period The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, สุโขทัย, , IAST: , ) was a post-classical Thai kingdom (mandala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. The kingdom was fou ...

(AD 1238–1583) along with many other

Thai instruments Traditional Thai musical instruments ( th, เครื่องดนตรีไทย, ) are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical music of Thailand. They comprise a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments ...

. But, it was officially recorded as a Thai instrument by king

Trailokkanat Borommatrailokkanat ( th, บรมไตรโลกนาถ, , sa, Brahmatrailokanātha) or Trailok (1431–1488) was the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1448 to 1488. He was one of many monarchs who gained the epithet ''King of White Elep ...

(1431–1488), who sets the official model of the instruments. It is a reedless instrument, generally made of

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, ...

, though instruments are also made from hardwood or plastic. After many generations of modifications, it survives to the present day as the khlui phiang aw.

Types

The Thai Khlui keeps its beauty and look since its ancient times. With a long history, the instrument had been modified to be used in other occasions, making new types of Khlui that was invented. There are 3 main types of Khlui, although there are also many others. The 3 types of Khlui, that is still popular to the present day. # Khlui phiang aw ( ขลุ่ยเพียงออ) # Khlui lib ( ขลุ่ยหลิบ) # Khlui u ( ขลุ่ยอู้)

Khlui phiang aw

Khlui phiang aw is the most popular among all types of khlui. It has a moderate range of pitch, not too high or low. It is a reed-less

aerophone An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the inst ...

with 8 tone holes. At mouthpiece there is a solid wooden block ("dak" th, ดาก) with a small aperture instead of a reed. The dak has the diameter of the tube and usually have the length of 2 inches, and was inserted at an end of the tube. On the side of the dak there is a square-shaped hole creates the sound of the khlui called th, รูปากนกแก้ว. The khlui has 7 finger holes and a thumb hole. The khlui phiang aw is one of the oldest

woodwind instruments Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...

. Its origin could be dated back to around the first century. At present, khlui usually have a very high price, because the wood is more scarced. So, plastic is used to create more conventional use. Khlui is tuned an octave higher than the middle C. The khlui phiang aw is usually tuned as a Bb khlui or a C khlui. The Bb khlui is a traditional one that is used to play Thai songs and with Thai ensemble, while the C Khlui is later modified to adapt the western

chromatic scale The chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches (more completely, pitch classes) used in tonal music, with notes separated by the interval of a semitone. Chromatic instruments, such as the piano, are made to produce th ...

. Both types are very common. However, traditional Thai Khlui is slightly more flat than the ideal Bb, but well-tuned khlui also exists. The khlui phiang aw is the most popular in all Thai instruments, and is widely used for recreational purposes.

Khlui lib

Khlui lib is by far the smallest Khlui in its family. It was later invented to play along with the khlui phiang aw in bands and ensembles. It is considered as the leading instrument of a Thai band, similarly to the Ranat ek and the Saw duang, because of its high pitch and its distinct sound. Khlui lib is tuned in D, Eb, or F (higher than the khlui phiang aw), with the Eb khlui as the most common among the khlui lib.

Khlui u

Khlui u is the largest of its family, as the alto version of the khlui phiang aw. Unlike the khlui phiang aw and the khlui lib, the khlui u has only 6 tone holes. It is tuned in Eb, F, or G (lower than the khlui phiang aw). It is also used in many Thai bands and ensembles.

External links

Sound sample
* http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/music/classical/instruments/ {{Authority control Bamboo flutes Internal fipple flutes Thai musical instruments

Types

Khlui phiang aw

Khlui lib

Khlui u

See also

External links