2. THAILAND
• In Thai language, Thailand’s name is Prathet Thai means “Land of Free”.
• Only country in Southeast Asia that was never colonized by European nation.
• Formerly known as Siam.
• Its capital and largest city is Bangkok which is Thailand’s political, commercial,
industrial, and cultural hub.
3. MUSIC OF THAILAND
• It is the result of the music of the different countries with which the Thai were contact with
Southern China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, and India.
• It uses a tonal system where there are seven pitches for a mode. Among the seven, only five
are used as basis of composition.
• It is always in duple meter.
• Purely oral in culture and has no written notational styles.
• It calms the mind and satiates the soul, and relatively new compared to its other Asian
counterparts.
4. MUSIC ELEMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS
MUSICAL ELEMENTS CHARACTERISTICS
Rhythm Duple meter, syncopation
Melody Uses pentatonic scale and the seven tone-scale
Timbre Nasal
Harmony and Texture
Heterophonic (Two or more voices
simultaneously performing variations of the
same melody)
Form Strophic
5. VOCAL MUSIC
1. Pleng luk thung (Thai country music) – invented in the early 1950’s to reflect daily
trials and tribulations.
2. Morlam – a distinctive Laotian genre characterized by rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals,
and funk-feel to the percussion.
3. Kantrum – a swift and traditional music played by Cambodians near the border of
Cambodia.
6. VOCAL MUSIC
4. Pop and rock
a. Plena Thai Sakon – Thai melodies that are incorporated with Western classical music.
b. Wong Shadow – Western rock patterned after Cliff Richards and the Shadows.
c. Pleng Phua Cheewit – the nationalistic song of the Thais
8. A. IDIOPHONES
Ranat Thum
- A wooden xylophone
Khwang Wong Lek
- A set of 18 knobbed pot
gongs placed in a circular
wooden frame
Ching
- A pair of cymbals made out of
a thick metal shaped like a tea
cup
9. MEMBRAPHONES
Taphon – a drum place on a stand
Klong-Kaak – a long cylindrical drum
with a similar shape and size to the western
style bongo drums.
10. B. MEMBRAPHONES
Thon – a bowl-shaped ceramic drum
on the left.
Ramana – a shallow drum that
looks like a tambourine without disks
(on the right)
11. C. CHORDOPHONES
Jakhae or jakhe – Thai’s most important
stringed instrument shaped like crocodile.
Saw sam sei – a triangular spiked fiddle
with a leg, three strings, but no frets.
13. D. AEROPHONES
Khaen – them most important folk
instrument of North Thailand.
Pi nai – a double – reed pipe.
14. COMBINATION OF THAI INSTRUMENT IN
THAI PRINCIPAL ENSEMBLES
Thai ensembles Thai instruments
1. Piphat – it consists of the melodic and rhythmic
percussion instruments. It is the most common and iconic
midsize orchestra. It symbolizes the dancing of the
Thailand’s legendary dragons. It is played indoor and
outdoor.
a. Ranat Thum
b. Khwang Wong Lek
c. Pi nai
d. Ching
e. Taphon
f. Kalong-tat (drum)
16. COMBINATION OF THAI INSTRUMENT IN
THAI PRINCIPAL ENSEMBLES
Thai ensembles Thai instruments
2. Mahori – it consists of the melodic and rhythmic
percussion instruments, such as flute and strings. It is a
small ensemble traditionally played by women, but can
also be played by men.
a. Saw Duang
b. Solaw (bowed lute)
c. Jhakhe
d. Klui (vertical flute)
e. Thon (a bowl-shaped drum)
f. Khim (Chinese Dulcimer)
18. COMBINATION OF THAI INSTRUMENT IN
THAI PRINCIPAL ENSEMBLES
Thai ensembles Thai instruments
3. Khruang-sai – it is an orchestra that combines some
of the percussion and wind instruments of the piphat
with an expanded string section. It may be performed
both indoors and outdoors. They are used to accompany
Thai dramas.
a. Ranat Thum
b. Khwang wong Lek
c. Ching
d. Jhakhe
e. Saw sam sei
f. Saw duang
g. Saw u (two-stringed fiddle)
h. Thon
