Traditional Cambodian musical instruments

Traditional Cambodian musical instruments are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical music of Cambodia. They comprise a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments, used by both the Khmer majority as well as the nation's ethnic minorities.

Woodwind

Flute

Khloy () - vertical duct flute made of bamboo, hardwood, or plastic, with buzzing membrane Khloy ek - smaller in size Khloy thom - larger in size

Free-reed

Sneng () - water buffalo or ox horn with a single free reedphoto Pey pok () - free-reed pipephoto Ploy () (also called m'baut) - mouth organ with gourd body and five to seven bamboo pipes; used by Mon-Khmer-speaking upland ethnic minorities Ken/khaen () - free-reed mouth organ used in northwestern Cambodia Angkuoch () (also called kangkuoch) - jaw harp made of bamboo or metal

Quadruple reed Sralai () - quadruple-reed oboe Sralai toch () - small quadruple-reed oboe Sralai thom ()- large quadruple-reed oboe Sralai chey (), also called sralai klong khaek () or sralai Chvea (), historically played during triumphal ceremonies and traditional Cambodian martial arts matches such as kun Khmer/pradal serey or bokator Sralai Trai Leak () or sralai Toam Ming (), used in Kantoam Ming (or Trai Leak) funeral ensembles in the Siem Reap region Pey ar () (also spelled beyaw, and also called bey prabauh) - oboe with cylindrical bore

Horns

Saing - conch horn

Other

Slek - tree leaf used as a wind instrument

String

Bowed

Tro () - fiddle Tro Khmer () - three-string vertical spike fiddle with coconut shell body; used in classical music Tro che () - high-pitched two-string vertical fiddle, with face covered with snakeskin Tro sau toch () - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music Tro sau thom () - two-string vertical fiddle with hardwood body; used in classical music Tro u (also spelled tro ou) () - lower two-string vertical fiddle with a coconut shell body, with face covered with calfskin or snakeskin; used in classical musicphoto

Plucked

Chapei dong veng () - plucked fretted lute Kong ring - bamboo tube zither, can play thet drum's part Krapeu (also called takhe) - crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings Kse diev () or () - chest-resonated stick zither)photo Pin - Cambodian harp, ancient instrument reborn in modern times

Struck

Khim () - hammered dulcimer

Percussion

Drums

Sampho (សម្ភោរ)- barrel drum, played with the hands Skor (also spelled sko) - long skor drum Skor thom (ស្គរធំ)- pair of large barrel drums, played with sticks Skor yike (ស្គរយីកេ) - flat skor drum, played with hands and used in Yike dance drama Thon, skor daey, and skor arak - goblet-shaped drums, played with the handsphoto Rumana - frame drum, played with the hands

Gong chimes

Kong vong toch (also called kong toch) - small gong circle Kong vong thom (also called kong thom) - large gong circle Kong mon (also called kong mon) - small gong chime shaped curved

Xylophone Roneat ()- trough-resonated keyboard percussion instrument; generally played with two mallets and used in Khmer classical and theater music Roneat ek - smaller xylophone Roneat thung - larger xylophone Roneat dek - smaller metallophone Roneat thong larger metallophone; no longer used

Gongs Kong vong or kong thom () - single suspended gong

Clappers Krap () - pair of flat bamboo or hardwood sticks

Cymbals Ching (ឈិង) - pair of small cymbals used to mark time Chap - pair of flat cymbals

Woodblocks Pan - woodblock Nay pay - pellow Sindang - small size woodblocks

Occasions

Traditional Cambodian musical instruments play a significant role in the Cambodian culture.May M. Ebihara, Carol Anne Mortland, Judy Ledgerwood. "Cambodian Culture Since 1975: Homeland and Exile". Cornell University Press, 1994 These instruments are typically used during royal events, weddings, and festivals. For weddings and royal events, the musicians playing the instruments would wear traditional Cambodian attire. Just like the Chinese, with regard to playing context, there is no conductor in traditional Cambodian music because musicians generally learned and memorized how to play the instruments aurally. These instruments provide a sense of identity for the Cambodian people.

Traditional Cambodian musical instruments

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