Music has since become an indispensable part of life. There is music, and there are musical instruments that make people’s spiritual life more colorful. Music is born from everyday life, thinking, behaving, and what belongs to life. Each ethnic group in beloved Vietnam has its own and unique customs and culture. Since then, separate melodies and traditional musical instruments have also been formed. So, what are the traditional musical instruments of ethnic minorities in Vietnam?
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Hmong traditional musical instrument
The traditional musical instruments of the Mong people (in Vietnam) are like shimmering jewels, shining in the cultural treasures of the Hmong people. From leaves, bamboo tubes, which constantly appear around the life of the Mong people, they have crafted many different musical instruments, expressing the cultural life of their community.
The sound of the khene (a kind of trumpet) is probably a familiar sound that has permeated the blood of every Mong person. The body of the trumpet is made of pomu wood and six bamboo tubes of different sizes. The Hmong people believe that six bamboo tubes are a symbol of brotherhood. The bamboo tubes are arranged parallel to each other, creating the feeling of seeing water flowing.
Hmong people play the khene when they are sad or happy in daily life. Therefore, the sound of this trumpet contains very authentic human emotions and is an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the Mong people.
Traditional musical instrument of the Tay people
When it comes to Tay music, people will immediately think of “đàn tính” or gourd lute. It is like a soul of Tay’s music, becoming an indispensable spiritual instrument in the community culture and the pride of the people here.
“Đàn tính” is a type of stringed instrument consisting of three parts: gourd, neck, and strings. The guitar is a crucial factor that determines the sound quality of a guitar. The instrument is made of half a dried gourd — the older, round, glossy, and not convex, the better the sound quality.
To make a lute requires perseverance and a pair of skillful hands. The lute maker must understand its rules and regulations to choose the right size gourd, compare the standard strings, and punch the right gourds. In the cultural festivals of the Tay, the then resounds as an indispensable sound in community life.
Read more: Cat Cat village – the most beautiful village in the Northwest of Vietnam
Traditional musical instrument of the Van Kieu ethnic group
Besides traditional festivals and typical costumes, the Van Kieu people are also famous for possessing a treasure trove of unique traditional musical instruments in Vietnam. The musical instruments of the Van Kieu people are still rudimentary, but that is the pride and development of the Van Kieu people over hundreds of years of history. Together with the materials available in daily life, they have made elementary musical instruments that show the whole community’s spiritual life and everyday life.
In that treasure trove of traditional musical instruments of the Van Kieu people is the khui flute. This type of flute is used to sing accompaniment to the typical Xa Lot tune of Van Kieu people. The sound of the flute is played, expressing the heart of the player. It resounds the melody of the state of love, of relationships in society and villages. In addition, the Van Kieu people also created lip flute, Teril flute, Pluaq, etc., all using materials available in the forest, around where they live. Therefore, when played, the sound sounds rustic, simple but imbued with the heart of the person who created it.
Going to each land, listening to a story, meeting a person, listening to some traditional tunes, we better understand the feelings and love of the people in that land. It’s no coincidence that people turn to music over something else. Because of music, they can speak most fully and skillfully about the hearts and lives of the people there.
