Thai Musical Instruments

History of Thai Music

Thai music was part of an oral culture and developed no traditional system of notation. "As an integrated, unique system the traditional music of Thailand is probably not more than six hundred years old." (Morton 1978, p.1) The classical or Bangkok period beginning 1782 may be considered "a culmination of musical evolution that probably started, as nearly as can be ascertained from the references, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries with the rise of Ayuthaya as the capital," (ibid) in 1350. Music flourished for the next few centuries, in spite of occasional oppression from monarchs like Rama I and the burning of Ayuthaya, including its art collections and libraries, in 1767 the result of which is a loss of most knowledge necessary to reconstruct the history of Thai music before the Bangkok period. Buy Thai Musical Instruments Online

Learning Butterfly Harp or Khim

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The khim (pronounced "kim," with a rising tone, in Thai) is a hammered dulcimer from Thailand and Cambodia. It is made of wood and trapezoidal in shape, with numerous brass strings. It is played with two flexible bamboo sticks and is used as both a solo and ensemble instrument.

The instrument was introduced to Thailand and Cambodia from China, where a similar (though usually larger) instrument is called yangqin; the khim produces a significantly softer sound. Traditional khim have two bridges, though in the late 20th century some players began using larger instruments with more bridges.

Other areas of Thai Music

Modern Thai Music

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Lao Music

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