Music of Thailand

In a country where the most revered ritual in classical music pays homage to music teachers, it comes as no surprise that music is a fundamental part of culture and society in Thailand. The name of this country means "land of the free," and it is the only country in Asia never colonized by Europe. It is located in Southeast Asia and bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Most of the population is Thai (75%), but there are minority groups of Malays, Chinese, Laotians, Hmong, and others.

Education is prized in Thailand-98 percent of school-age children attend school and 96 percent of the population is literate. Music is an important part of children's education as well, and many Thai people can play one or two traditional Thai instruments. Folk and classical music form the foundation of traditional music culture in Thailand, and although they have been partially eclipsed by popular music of late, they still play an important role more broadly in Thai culture.

Classical Traditions

Classical music is an important, influential, and identify-producing art form for many Thais. Classical music-meaning composed music played by professional musicians mainly for performance-has existed in its present form in Thailand since at least the 1300s, so it reaches back as far as (or farther than) the roots of modern European classical music. There are three main styles of classical music in Thailand: pi-phat, khruang sai, and mahori. These styles make use of four different instrument groups: woodwinds, strings, melodic percussion, and rhythmic percussion.

Pi-phat is the most well-known style to non-Thais, probably due to its fast, flashy tempo and unique instruments. Pi-phat is audibly recognizable by the pinai, a shrill quadruple reed oboe-like instrument. Other instruments include the ranat (a curved, boat-shaped xylophone) and a circle of small kettle gongs called the khlong wong yai which usually plays the main melody. To play this instrument, a musician sits cross-legged in the middle of the circle of small gongs and uses wooden mallets to strike them.

Like many other Southeast Asian traditions, the rhythm is based on recurring rhythmic cycles of beats. The main melody is usually played by one instrument, and then the supporting instruments play an elaborately ornamented version of the melody to complement the main melody. They combine to produce a full, rich polyphonic texture, sometimes accompanied by singers and dancers. Classical music accompanies ritual ceremonies, funerals, and different forms of theater and entertainment.

Folk Music

Like the bountiful harvests from the plains of central Thailand, numerous folk music styles burst from every corner of the country. Music styles rarely remain the same through time, and in Thailand there has been historical interplay between folk and classical styles so that elements of one can be heard in the other. Many folk styles use similar instruments to those found in Thai classical music, such as xylophones, woodwinds like the pinai, and cymbals and drums. These families of instruments form a general instrumental palette found throughout the region.

In the northeast, folk music shows the influence of Thailand's neighbors. The khaen (also played in Laos) is a wind instrument made from a group of 8 to 16 bamboo pipes that can be up to a yard in length. Each bamboo pipe has a free reed inside much like a harmonica. A khaen player blows through one common tube that fills each pipe, and opens and closes finger holes on each to activate the pitch of specific pipes.

The khaen accompanies a hugely popular folk music called mo lam, also found in northern Thailand. With syncopated percussion parts under the continuous thick chords of the khaen, a mo lam singer delivers fast-paced lyrics in the native language of the region, Laotian. The lyrics might include anything from epic tales and stories to courtship jousts or local news. Unlike many folk forms around the world, mo lam has actually risen to challenge the popularity of Thai pop music in the area.

Thailand Today

Popular music rules the airwaves and stereos of contemporary Thailand and threatened to bury folk and classical music during the last century. Thanks to strong government support for the arts, as well as continued dedication of private groups, ensembles, and individual musicians, folk and classical music still has a niche in the music culture of Thailand.

While Western-style popular music pervades Thailand, some indigenous pop styles based on traditional music are wildly popular. The sounds of luk thung can be heard everywhere in Thailand, from Bangkok to rural areas up north. Luk thung concerts are spectacles in every sense of the word-huge stage productions with elaborate lighting, costumes, dancers, and a large backing orchestra. Singers, which are one of the major draws of luk thung, must be able to produce intricate vocal ornamentation such as grace notes and glissandos and to sing in a very wide vocal range. Like country music in the United States, lyrics in luk thung are about everyday events and things that relate to all individuals.

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