The ranat thum (, ) is a low pitched xylophone belongs to the pitched percussion part in the traditional music of Thailand, given that the word "ทุ้ม (Thum)" means lower pitch. It has 17 wooden bars, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ranat ek, but it is lower and wider. It is usually played in accompaniment of a ranat ek in ensembles like several Piphat formations or Mahori, usually with a more gleeful, amusing pattern to support the main melody of ranat ek.
ranat thum bars are typically made from bamboo, although instruments with rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri; ; mai ching chan) bars can also be found, though instrument makers say bars made from bamboo sound better and can be heard more clearly when played in an ensemble.
Regardless of ranat thum being a part of both Mahori band and Piphat band, the instrument in Mahori band is specifically smaller in size and higher in pitch to soften the sound and harmonize it with other instruments in an ensemble. Another similar instrument is ranat thum lek, ranat thum with metal bars, with soft and echoing tones.
It is similar to a Cambodian xylophone called roneat thung.
Construction Ranat thum consists of 17 bars made of bamboo, strung together using a cord that connects through all of them.The bars are then suspended on hooks at curved edges on the both sides of its long, rectangular shaped box, which is 124 cm. in length and 22 cm. in width. At the bottom of the body, each corner consists of a small, wooden base for a support. It is different from ranat ek’s body, which resembles the shape of a wooden boat and consists of a pedestal that supports the whole body. To perform the instrument, the player holds a pair of mallets wrapped in fabrics and strikes down the bars. The wooden bars are longer and wider in size, causing its pitch to be lower to accompany ranat ek and other instruments in an ensemble.
To make the set of bars on the ranat thum, bamboo is harvested at around 5 years of age as that is when it is at a suitable hardness for durability. For this instrument, the bamboo needs to be at around 8 inches in diameter and will be cut lengthwise into 4-5 sections. They are then soaked in water for 3 months and taken out to dry for 6 months.
Once the sections are completely dry, the artisan chooses 17 sections of bamboo with increasing thickness that have both sides of the node still attached and a smooth surface with no cracks. Then, by tapping on the bamboo and listening to the sound, the most suitable pieces are selected.
The chosen bars are then trimmed down to the appropriate length and width using a blade and wood planer. The holes for the string are drilled into each of the bars which is then tuned with a lead mixture underneath and assembled into a set of bars to be hung over the main body.
References
External links Sound sample ranat thum page