Vietnam Traditional Instruments

Two-string fiddle (Dan Nhi)

The Dan Nhi is popular among several ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is also referred to as Dan Co in southern provinces of Viet Nam.

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Dan Nguyet – Two-String Guitar

The Southerners of Vietnam refer to this instrument as Dan Kim. Dan Nguyet has two strings and the resonator resembles the moon, that is probably why it is named Dan Nguyet, which means moon lute.

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Dan Ty Ba Four-string guitar

The Dan Ty Ba is a four-string instrument which is frequently present in a traditional orchestra.

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16-string zither (Dan Tranh)

The Dan Tranh is also known as Dan Thap Luc or sixteen-stringed zither. Its shape resembles a bamboo tube that has been sliced vertically in half.

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This three-stringed lute is used by several ethnic groups in Vietnam. The Viet call it Dan Tam, whereas the Ha Nhi call it Ta in. This instrument exists in three sizes: large, medium, and small. The small is the most popular.

Bamboo Flute (Sao truc)

Sao truc, the bamboo flute, is made from a stem of fine bamboo pierced with finger holes.

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T’rung

T’rung is one of the popular musical instruments closely associated with the spiritual life of the Bahnar, TSedan, Giarai, Ede and other ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

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Dan Tam Thap Luc

The Tam Thap Luc is a sort of zither with thirty-six brass strings as it is called. It has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, with a slightly convex sound board made of light, porous, unvarnished wood.

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Trong Com – Rice Drum

The Trong Com (rice drum) gets its name from the practice of placing a pinch of hot steamed rice in the middle of the drum skin to “tune” the instrument.

Dan Day

Dan Day is a special instrument of Vietnamese origin. This three-stringed lute is used incorporate the peculiarities of the two-stringed lute (dan Nguyet), the four-stringed pear-shaped lute (dan Ty Ba), and the three-stringed lute (dan Tam).

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Cong Chieng

The Cong Chieng is a kind of musical instrument casted from mixed copper and belongs to the idiophonic family. In Vietnamese language, the word “Cong” points to a musical instrument with a bossed part in center (bossed gong) and “Chieng” without it (flat gong).

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