Kyam: Burma musical instrument

The kyam is a crocodile-shaped fretted zither that has three strings that are used in the traditional music of the Mon people of Burma.

source: en.wikipedia.org

The body of the instrument is manufactured out of wood that is carved out to the underside like a dugout canoe. It has almost 13 raised wooden frets that are diatonically rather than equal distant or chromatically spaced. The instrument has carved crocodile’s head and tail and also four legs. The strings of the kyam are tuned from low to high. The lowest string that is on the instrument is produced of brass and also the two higher strings are made from nylon. 

The kyam is plucked with the use of a short rod-shaped plectrum that tapers to the point that is made of horn or hardwood. The plectrum is not tied on the right index finger, rather, it is simply held in the hand by the player of the musical instrument. Tremolo style of playing the instrument is mostly used, the musical instrument has a buzzing sound, due to the strings are moved higher just off the flat bridge by a sliver of bamboo or any other material which can be a plastic. The kyam has resemblance to the Burmese ‘mi gyaung’ and also the Thai ‘jakhe’ as well as the Khmer ‘krapeu’.