Musical Instruments of Burma

The musical instruments that are used in the music of Burma include the brass se (which is like a triangle), hne (a type of oboe) and bamboo wa as well as the famous saung, a boat shaped harp, the instruments are divided into six groups;

•         Instruments made of non-precocious metal such as brass or bronze kyei
•        Instruments that are made from skin, hide or leather thay-ye
•        String instruments kyo
•       Wind instruments lei
•     Clapper instrument let-ko
•    Xylophone instruments patala

source of picture: www.goldentriangel.de

These instruments are played in a musical scale which comprise of seven tones, each of the musical instruments is associated with an animal that is said to be the producer of the tone. Each tone can be played raised, lowered or natural (corresponding to sharp, flat or natural), which result to a possible twenty-one mixtures. The pat waing drum circle for instant consists of twenty-one drums, one tuned to each tone in each possible mixture, and the saing saya (maestro) sits in the middle with the use of different parts of his hands to strike the percuss in order to produce a melody. The Kyi waing is the gong circle strung up in the same way and the gongs are struck with a knobbed stick and in accessory to the past waing.

Tone name	Brumese name	Animal	Approx.. tone
Usabha	Pyidawpyan	Bull	G
Dhevata	Chauk thwe nyunt	Horse	D
Chajja	Duraka	Peacock	A
Gandhara	Myin saing	Goat	E
Majjhima	Pale	Crane	B
Panzama	Aukpyan	Cuckoo	F
Nisada	Hnyin ione	Elephant	C

The Burmese harp is of special importance, it can be traced back to the 19^th century, though it has changed quite a bit since the expanding, for instant, from three cords to sixteen, during the Konbaung era from 1752 to 1885. Courtly musicians include Ma Mya Galay, a queen, Hlaing Hteikhaung Tin, a princess, Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa, a minister, and Nat Shin Naung, King of Taungoo.

Starting from the World War II, the piano was adapted to the performance of Burmese traditional music, modelling its technique after that of the patala and saung, the best famous performer of Burmese piano was Gita Lulin Maung Ko Ko, who was also called U Ko Ko from 1928 to 2007.