The ''sáo'' (
Chữ Nôm
Chữ Nôm (, ; ) is a logographic writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language. It uses Chinese characters (''Chữ Hán'') to represent Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary and some native Vietnamese words, with other words represen ...
: 筲, also called ''sáo trúc'' or "sow trook", pronounced ) is a family of flutes found in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
that is traditionally thought to contain the culture and spirit of Vietnam's countryside. The most common variety is played with the flutist holding the ''sáo'' transversely to the right side with his or her mouth placed at the blowing hole. Other varieties include the ''Sáo Dọc'', a kind of
recorder similar to the Thai
Khlui, the
''Sáo Bầu'', and the ''Sáo ôi'', a recorder played by the
Muong people. The ''sáo'' is usually performed solo or in an ensemble among other instruments in orchestras of Vietnamese popular opera
Chèo, Van singing genre, and Royal Small Orchestra.
Construction and materials
Most frequently made from a single piece 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, ...
, the ''sáo'' measures between 40 and 55 centimeters in length and 1.5 to 2 centimeters in diameter, with six or ten finger holes and a tuning slide.
Located inside the bamboo tube, near the oval blowing hole, is a soft wooden piece that adjust pitches when necessary. The first hole after the blowing hole is 12 centimeters away, while the other holes continue at a distance of 1 centimeter apart. At the other end of the flute, there is a non-covering hole called definite pitch hole, making it easier for the listener to discern pitch.
The simple construction of the holes allow for very complex techniques in playing the instrument such as the use of breath with changes in the blowing angle for great or minute changes in sound quality, or partial-holding of finger holes to make delicate pitch changes.
In the past, some flutes had a membrane similar to those on the Chinese
Dizi, but these are not used anymore.
Cultural uses and renovations
The ''sáo'' contains the musical spirit of Vietnamese countryside and its four peaceful seasons. In Vietnam, the people played ''sáo'' when resting on the fields or before going to sleep at night. By the end of the 1970s, artists Đinh Thìn and Ngo Nam modernized the ''sáo'' by making this 6-finger-hole flute into 10-finger-hole flute, extending its register.
Examples of the difference between the two variations of the flute can be heard in Đinh Thìn's "Tiếng gọi mùa xuân" and Mão Mèo's performance of "