Piphat
Encyclopedia
A piphat is a kind of ensemble in the classical music
of Thailand
, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compositions of the Thai classical repertoire, including the Buddhist invocation entitled sathukan as well as the suites called phleng rueang. It is also used to accompany traditional Thai theatrical and dance
forms including khon
(masked dance-drama), lakhon (classical dance), and shadow puppet theater
.
(after which the piphat ensemble is named), in combination with xylophone
s, gong circles, and other percussion instrument
s, with the xylophones and gong circles using hard mallets, creating a very bright, loud sound. A quieter variety of piphat ensemble, called piphat mai nuam (ปี่พาทย์ไม้นวม), uses a vertical flute
called khlui phiang o in place of the pi, and soft mallets are used in place of hard mallets. Because the piphat mai nuam produces a relatively soft, mellow sound, the large glawng thad drums are not used. Also, the ensemble may include saw u, to enhance its soft sound.
(oboe); ranat ek
(xylophone); khong wong yai
(gong circle); taphon
or other Thai drums; glong thad
, a set of two large barrel drums beaten with sticks; and ching (small cymbals). Often other small percussion instruments such as krap or chap are used.
A slightly larger piphat ensemble is called piphat khrueang khu, and consists of eight musical instruments. The other two instruments are the ranat thum
(xylophone), which produces a deeper sound than the ranat ek, and khong wong lek
, a gong circle that is higher in pitch than the khong wong yai
.
The largest form of piphat ensemble is the piphat khrueang yai, which consists of ten musical instruments. Another ones are ranat ek lek
and ranat thum lek
; these are almost the same as their ancestors, the ranat ek and ranat thum, but they have keys made from metal instead of wood.
(ระนาดเอกเหล็ก; treble metallophone) and ranat thum lek
(ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก; bass metallophone) to the wong piphat khrueang khu.
, an ancient Mon-Khmer-speaking people of mainland Southeast Asia, and uses special instruments such as an upright gong circle called khong mon. Wong piphat mon has three sizes:
and khong mon wong lek to the piphat mon khrueang ha.
and ranat thum lek
to the piphat mon khrueang khu.
The piphat mon ensemble is usually used in funerals, as it generally plays slow pieces. However, it can also be used for other events.
The piphat ensemble can be mixed with the khrueang sai ensemble to create a new ensemble called khrueang sai prasom piphat (เครื่องสายประสมปี่พาทย์ or เครื่องสายผสมปี่พาทย์).
equivalent of the piphat is called pinpeat
.
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compositions of the Thai classical repertoire, including the Buddhist invocation entitled sathukan as well as the suites called phleng rueang. It is also used to accompany traditional Thai theatrical and dance
Dance of Thailand
Dance in Thailand is the main dramatic art form of Thailand. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art and low art distinction....
forms including khon
Khon
Khon is a genre of dance drama from Thailand. It is traditionally performed solely in the royal court, by men in masks accompanied by narrators and a traditional piphat ensemble. A variation of this genre with female performers is called khon phu ying...
(masked dance-drama), lakhon (classical dance), and shadow puppet theater
Nang drama
Nang yai is a form of shadow play found in Thailand. Puppets are made of buffalo hide, while the story is narrated by songs, chants and music....
.
Hard-mallet vs. soft-mallet
The most common form of piphat is called piphat mai khaeng (ปี่พาทย์ไม้แข็ง). This ensemble uses an oboe called piPi (instrument)
Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
(after which the piphat ensemble is named), in combination with xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s, gong circles, and other percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s, with the xylophones and gong circles using hard mallets, creating a very bright, loud sound. A quieter variety of piphat ensemble, called piphat mai nuam (ปี่พาทย์ไม้นวม), uses a vertical flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
called khlui phiang o in place of the pi, and soft mallets are used in place of hard mallets. Because the piphat mai nuam produces a relatively soft, mellow sound, the large glawng thad drums are not used. Also, the ensemble may include saw u, to enhance its soft sound.
Types of piphat
The smallest piphat, called piphat khrueang ha, is composed of six instruments: pi naiPi (instrument)
Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
(oboe); ranat ek
Ranat ek
The ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....
(xylophone); khong wong yai
Khong wong yai
The khong wong yai is a circle with gongs used in the music of Thailand. It has 16 tuned bossed gongs in a rattan frame and is played with two beaters.The player sits in the middle of the circle. It is used in the piphat ensemble to provide the skeletal melody the other instruments of the...
(gong circle); taphon
Taphon
thumb|200px|taphonThe taphon is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas....
or other Thai drums; glong thad
Glong thad
Glong thad are large barrel drums used in the classical music of Thailand. They are played with large wooden sticks. They are usually played in a pair and used in the piphat ensemble....
, a set of two large barrel drums beaten with sticks; and ching (small cymbals). Often other small percussion instruments such as krap or chap are used.
A slightly larger piphat ensemble is called piphat khrueang khu, and consists of eight musical instruments. The other two instruments are the ranat thum
Ranat thum
The ranad thum is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 18 wooden keys, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ranad ek, but it is lower and wider...
(xylophone), which produces a deeper sound than the ranat ek, and khong wong lek
Khong wong lek
The khong wong lek is a gong circle used in Thai classical music. It has 18 tuned bossed gongs, and is smaller and higher in pitch than the khong wong yai...
, a gong circle that is higher in pitch than the khong wong yai
Khong wong yai
The khong wong yai is a circle with gongs used in the music of Thailand. It has 16 tuned bossed gongs in a rattan frame and is played with two beaters.The player sits in the middle of the circle. It is used in the piphat ensemble to provide the skeletal melody the other instruments of the...
.
The largest form of piphat ensemble is the piphat khrueang yai, which consists of ten musical instruments. Another ones are ranat ek lek
Ranat ek lek
The ranad ek lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the smaller of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the larger one is called ranad thum lek....
and ranat thum lek
Ranat thum lek
The ranad thum lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the smaller one is called ranat ek lek....
; these are almost the same as their ancestors, the ranat ek and ranat thum, but they have keys made from metal instead of wood.
Piphat khrueang ha
Wong piphat khrueang ha is an ensemble consisting of:- 1 pi naiPi (instrument)Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
- bass oboe - 1 taphonTaphonthumb|200px|taphonThe taphon is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas....
- secondary timekeeper - 1 ching - main timekeeper
- 1 khong wong yaiKhong wong yaiThe khong wong yai is a circle with gongs used in the music of Thailand. It has 16 tuned bossed gongs in a rattan frame and is played with two beaters.The player sits in the middle of the circle. It is used in the piphat ensemble to provide the skeletal melody the other instruments of the...
- bass gongs hanged in semicircular track - 2 glong thadGlong thadGlong thad are large barrel drums used in the classical music of Thailand. They are played with large wooden sticks. They are usually played in a pair and used in the piphat ensemble....
- Thai tympani - 1 ranat ekRanat ekThe ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....
- treble xylophone
Piphat khrueang khu
Wong piphat khrueang khu is developed from piphat khrueang ha, by arranging instruments in pairs of treble-bass. It consists of:- 1 pi naiPi (instrument)Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
- bass oboe - 1 pi nokPi (instrument)Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
- treble oboe - 1 taphonTaphonthumb|200px|taphonThe taphon is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas....
- secondary timekeeper - 1 glong songnaGlong songnaGlong songna is a Thai barrel drum. Songna means "two faces," and the drum has two heads that are played with the hands. It is used primarily in the piphat ensemble.-External links:*-See also:*Traditional Thai musical instruments*Glong khaek...
or 2 glong khaekGlong khaekGlong khaek is a type of double-headed barrel drum used in Thai music.The instrument's name comes from glong and khaek . There are two types of glong khaek: glong khaek tua phu and glong khaek tua mia... - 2 glong thadGlong thadGlong thad are large barrel drums used in the classical music of Thailand. They are played with large wooden sticks. They are usually played in a pair and used in the piphat ensemble....
- Thai tympani - 1 ching - main timekeeper
- 1 chapCHAPChap may refer to:*The Chap, a British magazine*Chap, a caste in the Bhakkar district of the Punjab, Pakistan*Chap Sandi, a village in the tehsil of Kaloorkot in Bhakkar*Chap, a term for chewing tobacco*Chap, a word for no used in New Zealand...
- 1 khong wong yaiKhong wong yaiThe khong wong yai is a circle with gongs used in the music of Thailand. It has 16 tuned bossed gongs in a rattan frame and is played with two beaters.The player sits in the middle of the circle. It is used in the piphat ensemble to provide the skeletal melody the other instruments of the...
- bass gongs hung in semicircular track - 1 khong wong lekKhong wong lekThe khong wong lek is a gong circle used in Thai classical music. It has 18 tuned bossed gongs, and is smaller and higher in pitch than the khong wong yai...
- treble version of gongs hung in semicircular track - 1 khong mongMong-People:*a proposed alternate name for the Hmong people, based on a large subgroup, the Mong Leng**Mong or Hmong language*William Mong , chairman of the Shun Hing Group, a product distributor in Hong Kong*William V...
- 1 ranat ekRanat ekThe ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....
- treble xylophone - 1 ranat thumRanat thumThe ranad thum is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 18 wooden keys, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ranad ek, but it is lower and wider...
- bass xylophone
Piphat khrueang yai
Wong piphat khrueang yai is arranged by adding ranat ek lekRanat ek lek
The ranad ek lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the smaller of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the larger one is called ranad thum lek....
(ระนาดเอกเหล็ก; treble metallophone) and ranat thum lek
Ranat thum lek
The ranad thum lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the smaller one is called ranat ek lek....
(ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก; bass metallophone) to the wong piphat khrueang khu.
Piphat nang hong
Wong piphat nang hong is an ensemble used in funerals. It is arranged by replacing the pi nai and pi nok with a pi chawa. The name nang hong comes from name of its main song.Piphat duek dam ban
Wong piphat duek dam ban was proposed by Prince Naris for using in Thai opera. It consists of:- 1 ranat ekRanat ekThe ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....
- 1 taphonTaphonthumb|200px|taphonThe taphon is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas....
- 1 ranat thumRanat thumThe ranad thum is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 18 wooden keys, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ranad ek, but it is lower and wider...
- 1 ranat thum lekRanat thum lekThe ranad thum lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the smaller one is called ranat ek lek....
- 1 khong wong yaiKhong wong yaiThe khong wong yai is a circle with gongs used in the music of Thailand. It has 16 tuned bossed gongs in a rattan frame and is played with two beaters.The player sits in the middle of the circle. It is used in the piphat ensemble to provide the skeletal melody the other instruments of the...
- 1 ching
- 1 taphonTaphonthumb|200px|taphonThe taphon is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas....
- "tympani" made by using two taphons arranged together. - 1 saw uSaw uThe saw u is a Thai bowed string instrument. It has a lower pitch than the saw duang and is the lowest sounding of the saw family. It has two strings and can produce 8 notes....
- 1 khlui u - bass flute
- 1 khlui phiang aw - medium
- 1 wong khong chai - a set of 7 khong chai with different size hung on wooden bar.
Piphat mon
The piphat mon is believed to derive from the Mon peopleMon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
, an ancient Mon-Khmer-speaking people of mainland Southeast Asia, and uses special instruments such as an upright gong circle called khong mon. Wong piphat mon has three sizes:
Piphat mon khrueang ha
Wong piphat mon khrueang ha consists of:- 1 ranat ekRanat ekThe ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....
- 1 pi monPi (instrument)Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
- bass oboe with horn-shaped end. - 1 khong mon wong yaiKhong monThe khong mon is a gong-circle instrument that is associated with the Mon people of mainland Southeast Asia. It produces the same range of pitches as the more common khong wong gong circle, but rather than resting on the ground, the wooden frame of the khong mon extends into the air in the shape...
- a set of bass gongs set in vertical frame (unlike khong wong yai, which gongs are set in horizontal semicircular frame). - 1 poengmang khok (เปิงมางคอก) or khok poeng (คอกเปิง) - MonMon peopleThe Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
drums set in cage-shaped frame. - ching, chap and khong mong
Piphat mon khrueang khu
Wong piphat mon khrueang khu is arranged by adding ranat thumRanat thum
The ranad thum is a low pitched xylophone used in the music of Thailand. It has 18 wooden keys, which are stretched over a boat-shaped trough resonator. Its shape looks like a ranad ek, but it is lower and wider...
and khong mon wong lek to the piphat mon khrueang ha.
Piphat mon khrueang yai
Wong piphat mon khrueang yai is arranged by adding ranat ek lekRanat ek lek
The ranad ek lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the smaller of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the larger one is called ranad thum lek....
and ranat thum lek
Ranat thum lek
The ranad thum lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the smaller one is called ranat ek lek....
to the piphat mon khrueang khu.
The piphat mon ensemble is usually used in funerals, as it generally plays slow pieces. However, it can also be used for other events.
The piphat ensemble can be mixed with the khrueang sai ensemble to create a new ensemble called khrueang sai prasom piphat (เครื่องสายประสมปี่พาทย์ or เครื่องสายผสมปี่พาทย์).
Similar ensembles
The CambodianMusic of Cambodia
The music of Cambodia is derived both from traditions dating back to the ancient Khmer Empire and from the rapid Westernization of the popular music scene in modern times.-Folk and classical music:...
equivalent of the piphat is called pinpeat
Pinpeat
The pinpeat orchestra or musical ensemble performs the ceremonial music of the royal cours and temples of Cambodia. The orchestra consists of approximately nine or ten instruments, mainly wind and percussion . It accompanies court dances, masked plays, shadow plays, and religious ceremonies...
.
Listening
- Pi Phat Ensemble page from SEAsite