Vietnamese people have long had a rich and diverse treasure of folk music. Different localities offer different folk music imbued with their own special identities. The VCD "Solos and ensembles of Vietnamese folk music instruments 3" will give you a brief introduction to folk music treasures of some different localities.

1. Program Title

2. Duo Ken La (The leaft bugle) and Zen xin (chordophone)
"Tien anh len duong" - "Seeing you off"
Performed by Giang Dung Sai - Mong minority in Ha Giang
Zen xin is an instrument of Mong people. This is a chordophone of plucking branch. Instrument's sound box is flat round. Its surface is made from softwood and flower painted. A sound hole is made on the surface. Neck of Zen xin is made from hard wood. Of 4 strings that used to be made from silk but now are replaced with nylon, 2 big strings are unison and so are 2 small strings. Interval between 2 pairs of strings is a perfect fifth. This is the instrument that Mong people play in daily life and exclusively played by men. Zen xin can by played in solo or in ensemble with other instruments. In this repertoire, Zen xin is played with a leaf bugle which is a newly-picked leaf and gives sonorous and high-pitched sounds.

3. SoloƯTra (aerophone)
"Hen nhau di lam nuong" - "Making a date to go to the field"
Performed by Giang Dung Sai - Mong minority in Ha Giang
This is an instrument that is popularly played by minorities living in Vietnam. The very instrument is known under various names such as Dan Moi (Jew's harp of Viet majority), Pangtotinh (Muong), Toong (Ma), Hun Toong (Thai), Ư tra (Mong), and so on. Ư Tra is an idiophone that is made from a thin brass piece, in the middle of which, 2 cuts are made consequently forming 2 sides of a trapezium triangular whose base side is still connected with the piece. This triangular itself is a vibration part of Ư Tra. When playing, instrumentalist places Ư Tra between his lips (using his mouth as a resonator). Holding an end of Ư Tra with his left hand, the instrumentalist plucks the vibration part to make reed vibrated. Ư Tra gives soft sounds that are loud enough to be heard while a couple is taking in confidence. Mong people usually play Ư Tra in their courtship activities.

4. Duo Dao dao (Idiophone)
"Khap se"
Performed by Lo Thi Hac and Lo Thi Lanh - Lu minority
Dao Dao is a popular instrument of minorities including Kho Mu, Thai, Lu. This is an idiophone of striking branch. Dao Dao is made from a hollow hornless bamboo tube, of which, one end is slantingly cut at two sides leaving 2 other sides of 30 cm long each. When playing, instrumentalist holds the other end of Dao Dao with her right hand and strikes the cut end at her left hand, thus makes the two left hornless sides vibrated consequently stirs air column inside the tube. Sounds of Dao dao are soft and cracked. Dao Dao is exclusively played by women in daily activities, especially in agricultural rituals.

5. Solo Tinh Then (Chordophone)
"Dieu cho mua chau" - "Tune for Chau dance"
Performed by Mo Thi Kit - Tay minority in Lang Son
Tinh Then is an instrument popularly played among Tay and Nung peoples in Viet Bac (mostly Nung people). This is a chordophone of plucking branch. Instrument box is a dry gourd while neck is made from wood and 85 cm long. Tinh Then has no frets but has 3 nylon or silk strings that are tuned at fourths or fifths. Tinh Then is usually played either to accompany singing or in solo in Then ceremonies. Instrumentalist plays Tinh Then and sings along and sometimes also plays tintinnabula. "Tune for Chau dance" played by a folk artist Mo Thi Kit from Tay minority in Lang Son province is a repertoire used to accompany dances in Then ceremony.

6. Solo Trapua (Aerophone)
"Sao thoi luc vui" - "Flute tune at joyful time"
Performed by Trinh Quay Hen - Mong minority in Lang Son
Tra pua is a name given to a vertical flute popularly played by Mong minority. This instrument is also called Ka Lien by the Black Meo people in Lang Son province. Being an aerophone, Trapua is made from a hornless bamboo tube whose blowing end is cut slantingly. Tra pua has 4-finger holes and has a register of 3 octaves with following range: Do, Re, Mib, Fa and Sol. Exclusively played by man, Tra pua is usually played to accompany courtship singing, or in solo or ensemble. "Flute tune at joyful time" is a musical piece played at leisure time.

7. Solo Ken La (The Leaf Bugle)

Performed by Trinh Quay Hen - Mong minority in Lang Son
Blowing leaf is a popular playing of folk music among Mong people. Player can pick any fresh leaf from a tree to blow. However, to get a beautiful sound and easily blow, people have to choose leaves from some popular trees that are tough, not either too thick or thin, and one-side-smooth.
When blowing, instrumentalist places a horizontal-folded leaf's edges between his lips and blow to vibrate the folded section, consequently producing sounds. Various intensity as well as blowing way can create unique pitches. Sounds of leaf are high and sonorous. People usually blow leaf in courtship singing, and whey they work in forest or milpas, or even go out.

8. Solo An Nhok (Crockery drum)
"Accompanying tune for Xuc tep and Chim gau dance"
Performed by Tran Van Thanh - Cao Lan minority in Yen Bai
An Nhok is a typical instrument of Cao Lan people. This is a membranophonic drum of slapping and striking branch. Two surfaces of drum, big one is slapped with hand, small one is struck with stick, are covered with python or iguana skin.
Drumstick is a thin hornless bamboo slab, on which, there are two knots connected with each other by a string to make the slab curved. It is the curved part that is used to strike the drum. Crockery drum has an hourglass shape and leather snares. It is the most popularly played to accompany dancing, after harvest, or in the first Lunar month's festival, or in funeral ceremonies.

9. Solo Pi Tam Tan (Aerophone)
"Duoc mua" - "Having a good harvest"
Performed by Lo Van An - Thai minority in Yen Bai
Pi Tam Tan is a popular instrument of Thai people in Northwest region. This is an aerophone with reed that is splited from the instrument itself. Pi Tam Tan is made from a hornless bamboo tube of 35cm length. There are 4 top finger holes and 1 bottom finger hole, together producing 4 tones namely Do - Re - Fa - Sol. This instrument is played in daily activities, when working in milpas or at leisure time or in spring holidays.

10. Solo Pithiu (Aerophone)
"Goi ban" - "Calling friends"
Performed by Dinh Cong Tuyen - Thai minority in Yen Bai
Pi thiu is a popular blowing hole of Thai people. This aerophone with arch-formed blowing hole is made from a hornless bamboo tube of 50 - 60 cm long. Pi thiu is a vertical flute that has 4 finger holes and 1 definite-pitched hole, making a range including La - Do - Re - Fa - Sol. Pi thiu varies in sizes. The bigger it is, the lower its sound is. Pi thiu is exclusively played by men in courtship singing and regarded as flute sounds of calling friends. Pi thiu can be played in solo or in ensemble with other instruments. This "Calling friend" item belongs to repertoires of courtship singing.

11. Orchestra for Van singing genre - Viet majority
Excerpt of Van Mau Thoai
Performed by Nguyen Thi Chao
Van singing is a musical genre that closely relates to Tu Phu belief of Viet majority. This excerpt of Van Mau Thoai is about a genius who takes care of water world. One of instruments to accompany Van singing is Nguyet, a plucking chordophone whose player is usually also a singer. Also in the orchestra are rhythm instruments including idiophonics such as Phach (wooden castanets), Tiu and Canh (cymbals), and a membranophonic drum.

12. Co ke in ensemble - Muong minority in Hoa Binh
"Thuong Dah"
Performed by Bui Van Trung
Chum choe by Bui Van Tien
Oong Khao by Bui Van Hai
Co Ke of Muong minority is a bowing chordophone. Sound box is made from hornless bamboo tube or jack-tree wood with a surface covered with spathe of bamboo shoots or frog skin. Neck of instrument is a straight bamboo branch. 2 strings of Co ke are made from pipe-apple fabric or silk and tuned at a fourth or a fifth.
Bow is a hornless bamboo slab that is curved by binding 2 ends of the slab with a bunch of pipe-apple fabrics or horse-tail hairs. Co ke is usually played to accompany singing or in solo or in ensemble with other instruments in ritual music orchestra of Muong people.

13. Solo ong Oi (aerophone) - Muong minority in Hoa Binh
"Tuy hung" - Extemporary
Performed by Dinh Cong Uong
Ong oi of Muong people is an aerophone of arch-formed blowing hole. This is a vertical flute made from a hornless bamboo tube of 50-60 cm long with one end covered with node. Right at an edge of the node, people use knife or awl to bore an arch-formed hole. When blowing, instrumentalist leans his chin against the node and rounds his lips to drive an air column moving diagonally through arch-form hole's wall into the tube. Depending on each region, Ong oi varies from 4 to 6 finger holes. Range of 4-finger-hole flute includes Fa - Sol - La - Do - Re. This flute is exclusively played by men in daily activities either to accompany singing or in solo, either indoors or in milpas.

14. Solo 4-rhythmed gong - Pako minority
Performed by Quynh Nhan
Gong in this repertoire of Pako minority is a flat gong, an idiophone of striking branch. Such a gong is played in ensemble with Acur drum, Tang coi (horn), Can Tihg, and Xar (cymbals). Pako gong as well as other gongs of other minorities in Central Highlands are usually played by men in festivals.

15. Solo Tam plung (Chordophone)
Performed by Quynh Phuong - Ktu minority in A luoi
Tam plung, an instrument of Kotu people, is a chordophone of plucking branch. Body of the instrument is made from hornless bamboo and about 83 cm long. Resonator is located near plucking end. Tam plunghas no frets, but 1 metal string and 1 silk string which are tuned at a perfect fourth with a range over an octave. Tam plung is played by men in solo, or in ensemble in daily activities.

16. Solo An tru (Chordophone)
Performed by Pi Ries Nam - K'tu minority in A luoi
An tru, an instrument of Kotu people, is a chordophone of plucking branch. The instrument is made from a hornless bamboo tube, as people cut a part of hornless bamboo tube and then get a fabric splitted from each side of the cut part, so as to make such 2 hornless bamboo fabrics still connected with the tube at two ends. Then, people place 3 bamboo pieces below those fabrics consequently tense them to form 2 strings of the instrument. Finally, people use knife to adjust the thickness of each string so as to get 2 unison strings. Instrumentalist plays the instrument with a plectrum made from a thin bamboo piece, while touching his left thumb at strings and the bamboo pieces to produce 2 simultaneous sounds of semitone difference. This instrument is played solo or in ensemble in courtship activities.

17. Solo Bau monochord - Viet majority
"Tu Dai canh"
Performed by Tran Kich
Bau monochord is a popular instrument of Viet majority. This is a chordophone of plucking branch. In the past, monochord used to have a simple construction with a big-sized bamboo tube, a string, a spout, and a dry gourd or half of coconut shell. Today, monochord consists of a long parallel-piped sound box which has a little bit curved light-wood surface; hard wood walls; light-wood bottom with sound hole; a flexible bamboo spout goes through a bottom-cut gourd and into the sound box. The other end of the sound box is home to a wooden or metal tuning peg. A metal string is tied to the spout at flaring part of the gourd and goes sloping to the sound box and through a small hole on the sound box's surface and fastened with the tuning peg. Plectrum is made from bamboo or sharpened rattan. Bau monochord is usually tuned at Do, or sometimes tuned according to melody' tonalities. Regarding principle of producing sound, Bau monochord takes advantages of overtones. When playing, instrumentalist plucks the string and at the same time slightly touches some points on the string with hand's edge to make overtones. Bau monochord has soft sounds and register of about 3 octaves. Bau is played either in solo or in ensemble in daily activities, and in orchestras for Tai Tu music and Xam singing gere.

18. Orchestra for Tuong stage of Binh Dinh province
"Nam Xuan"
Belonging to Tuong Theatre of Binh Dinh, or presently called Dao Tan Theatre, orchestra for Tuong stage of Binh Dinh consists of following instruments: membranophones including Chien drum, Dai drum; Idiophones such as Thanh la (cymbals), Mo doi (double wooden block), and Gongs; Aerophone namely Bop oboe; Chordophones including Nhi fiddle, and Bau monochord. "Nam Xuan" is a musical piece to accompany singing. Compared with other "Nam" pieces such as "Nam Ai", "Nam Thien", and "Nam Luy", "Nam Xuan" is brighter, thus usually sung when Tuong characters have relaxing moods.

19. Solo K'ny (Chordophone)
"Ta lay khap tam t'ra"
Performed by Siu Alich - Giarai minority
K'ny of Giarai people is a chordophone of bowing branch, consisting of a small hornless bamboo tube with 6 frets, a metal string, a bamboo or hornless bamboo bow. There is no sound box. Therefore, to amplify sound, people use a silk string whose one end is bound to instrument string while the other end is tied with a thin buffalo horn piece or round aluminum piece. When playing, instrumentalist holds that piece in his mouth and bow while keeping his mouth always open. The produced sound will transmit through the silk string to the thin horn piece that vibrates in the instrumentalist's mouth. His palate thus serves as a resonator. When playing, the instrumentalist presses frets and bow while his mouth moves lightly and quickly as if he was whisperingly singing along with music. Changes of his mouth shape create sounds like singing. K'ny is exclusively played by men in solo or in ensemble.

20. Duo Ding pang (aerophone)
"Hoi Mua" - "Harvest festival"
Performed by Y Nuech Eban and Y Liem Kpah - Ede minority
Ding pang is a definite-pitch percussion played by men in daily activities, consisting of 8 hornless bamboo tubes of 21-50cm length. Each tube is covered at one end. There are usually 2 players. The tubes are bound in division of a set of 3 and a set of 2 played by 1 person, while the other set of 2 and set of 1 are made and played by the rest person. When playing, instrumentalists strike tubes on hard-wood resonators to create different sounds.

21. Solo Kypah (aerophone) Performed by Y Nuech Eban - Ede minority in Dac Lac province

Kypah is a popular instrument in minorities in Central highlands. This is an aerophone with free-vibrated reed. Kypah is made from a top part of buffalo horn, of which, the small end serves as a blowing part, the big one is where instrumentalist slightly slaps into with his right palm to create unique sounds. Kypah is exclusively played by men and considered a means of communication when in milpas or festivals, but not the instrument played at home.

22. Ensemble of Hohn gongs "Xa trang in buffalo-sacrificing ceremony" A complete ensemble of Hohn gongs of Bahnar people in Giarai province consists of 13 gongs including 5 bossed-gongs and 8 flat gongs. Hohn gong is an idiophone of striking and beating branch, and cast from bronze alloy. The ensemble of Gongs is usually played with a big drum and a small drum called in Bahnar language as Sgor drum and Sgreh drum respectively. Gong is mainly played in rituals and exclusively for men.

23. Solo Saranai (aerophone) "Bi yeu" (melody in Great Cha Va and Small Cha Va ceremonies) Performed by Truong Ton - Cham minority in Ninh Thuan. This is a popular aerophonic instrument of Cham people. Reed of the instrument is double one made from bamboo mat. Body and bell are made from wood and covered with a bronze ring. The body has a cylindrical shape with one big end and one small end. 7 finger holes are on one side along the body, and 1 finger hole is located on opposite side. All holes are pierced at equal distances, consequently making sounds of equal tempered heptatonic Do (perfect) - Re (tender) - Mi (tender) - Fa (hard) - Sol (perfect) - La (tender) - Si (tender) - Do (perfect). Sounds of Saranai are sonorous, a little bit sharp and stuffy. Saranai is played in solo or in ensemble and is a ritual instrument played only by men.

24. Xajam dancing - Kh'mer minority in Soc Trang province