TRADITIONAL BURMESE MUSIC

For a Myanmar child. from the moment he is pushed into the world his first wah-wah is
accompanied by saing (music of the orchestra played to celebrate any event) and throughout his
life's journey, everything that happens to him, or everything he does is accompanied by saing. The
saing continues after he leaves the world as dolorous music of the of the Monkey King's Lament is a
fixture of funeral music. “Without the benefit of saing” is a popular Myanmar idiom to describe any
dull, uninteresting event or something unceremonious or unheralded. A person arriving without any
previous notice is often remarked upon as arriving without the benefit of saing. [Source: Myanmar
Travel Information]
The basic idea of much of Burmese music is to create an "inner melody" like that in the Indonesian
Gamelan music. This melody is always improvised and ornamented in such a way the true "inner"
melody is never heard by the audience, but functions as a core melody for all performers to imrovise
from. In other words: nobody plays it, but everyone knows it.
The music produced by a traditional Burmese orchestra—which includes sets of gongs, finely tuned
drums and an oboe-like nstrument called a nhai—is similar to that of a Javanese gamelon.
According to The New York Times : “Its pieces sound richly theatrical. Melodies start slowly, then
dart frantically ahead, then pause and turn sideways in ways that merrily defy prediction. On
Burmese harp music the New York Times reported: “Mostly solos, occasionally accompanied by
quiet percussion—sends melody bouncing lightly from hand to had, octave to octave, sparkling like a
sunset reflected on a pond.”

Burmese Musical Instruments

Myanmar traditional music is based from the sounds made from instruments grouped in the
following five categories: 1) Kyee (kyay), bronze instruments such as gongs; 2) Kyoo (kyo), string
instruments such as harps; 3) Tha Yey Tha Yey, hide instruments like drums; 4) Lei (Lay), wind
instruments such as flutes; and 5) Let Khok (lekkoke), clappers, particularly bamboo clappers.
Myanmar musical instruments can further be placed in two categories: concert (anyeint) and
orchestra (saing-waing). In today's modern musical troupe: piano, accordion, trumpet, guitars,
organs and other Western instruments are also included to compose songs. [Source: Myanmar
Travel Information]
Many musical instruments were invented and fell into disuse throughout the ages. The anyeint
(concert of chamber) musical instruments of the past that are no longer used include are the saniara
(an extinct stringed instrument), aung galay (an extinct stringed instrument), don-min (an extinct
dulcimer-like instrument) and hnyin (extinct reed pipes). Among those are still played are the boat-
shaped harp, crocodile zither, xylophone, flute, oboe and than-lwin (small cymbals). However, only
six instruments were prescribed for anyeint, intended as intimate musical entertainment of the royal
chambers.
Shan Osi (Shan Long Drum, or Stone Drum) is actually is not a musical instrument. We just present
it as a peculiarity. A drum made of stone?. It consists of a somewhat a flat piece of rock. usual hung
at a pagoda or monastery. You can ring it by hitting with a stick. The purpose of using these is just
like using bells.
CD: Music by the Hsiang Waing Orchestra/ The Burmese Harp (Auvidis/UNESCO).

Maha Gita: Classical Music of Myanmar

 The complete body of Myanmar classical songs is usually referred to as. the "Maha Gita." meaning
great or royal song. The repertoire is also sometimes referred to as "Thachin Gyi." or great songs.
These were the songs of the royal Myanmar courts and form the basis of Myanmar classical music.
The Maha Gita repertoire is pervasive in the performance of Myanmar music. It forms the basis of
shared tradition of the chamber music ensemble, the Hsaing ensemble, as well as that of solo
instrument performances such as the piano. The Maha Gita also provides much of the basis for
music in the theater, both the puppet theater and that which employs live actors. [Source: Myanmar
Travel Information ~]
The Maha Gita exists in printed collections of the songs texts. There are no traditional examples in
notation. No system of notation exists in the Myanmar tradition. During the 1960s, an adoption of the
Chinese cipher notation system was used for notation of the single melodic line. A few examples of
the skeletal structural patterns of the music have been printed in Myanmar in Western notation, from
time to time since the 1940s. ~
Kyo songs, Bwe songs and Tachin Hkan are thought to be the oldest parts of the repertoire and
contain a great number of songs: 1) Patt Pyou, a song type that was very popular in the court and
contains the largest number of songs in the collection; 2) Loung Chin, songs of longing; 3) Lei Dwei
Than Kat, a group of two special songs; 4) Myin Gin, music to make the horses dance; 5) Nat Chin
Nat Chin, songs from the repertoire of the worship and propitiation of the 37 Nats, a native Myanmar
religion which exists along side and in harmony with Buddhism; 6) Yodaya songs, songs which were
introduced from Ayutthaya in Thailand as well as songs which were later composed in that style; 7)
Talaing Than Talaing Than, songs of the Mon minority in Myanmar; and 8) Bole, laments and songs
of sorrow. ~
In addition to this body of court songs. there are a number of instrumental pieces in the form of
opening music for the theater which are called "Panama Ti'loun," or "first pieces". There are a
number of instrumental types associated with the Royal Palace Watch, such as the "neyi." the first
music played each morning in the royal palace and the "yegin." played as the watch musicians
navigated the moat around the royal palace. A number of rhythmic and melodic types borrowed from
folk repertoire—such as "byo," "si daw." and "dophat"—also are included in the corpus of Myanmar
traditional music, although not formally part of the Maha Gita. ~

Harp (Saung), Xylophone (Pattalar) and Flute (Hne)

A "harp" is called a “saung” in Myanmar. There basically are two types: the Byat Saung and Saung
Gauk (bent harp). Almost nobody plays the byat saung these days so Burmese harp music therefore
generally refers to music made by the bent harp. In A.D. 10th century musicians played a five-string
harp. In the 18th century the number of strings was increased to seven. During the reign of King
Bodaw Pharar the art of playing harp was much promoted by the king and the harp was improved to
using up to 13 strings. The body of a Burmese harp is made of padauk, a kind of Myanmar
mahogany. The flat bar is made of cutch wood. It is covered with the leather of a female deer. And
the strings are made of silk! [Source: Myanmar Travel Information ~]
The Burmese bamboo xylophone (Pattalar) is regarded as an ancient musical instrument. Old
versions had a sound box underneath, with seven graduated keys. Later on, ten keys were added
and nowadays. 24 keys are used. The name “pattalar” means a “musical instrument on which you
can play from the crescendo to the bases or from the base to the crescendo.” The xylophone is
played with two sticks wrapped with cloth. ~
To make a bamboo xylophone, first you must split the Waboe bamboo into four parts and then
immerse the parts in the mud for about a year. After washing it, the bamboo is smoked for a year so
the bamboo becomes seasoned. The seasoned bamboos are cut into slats which are smoothed out,
polished and made in a left to right position. Twenty-two bamboo slats are sandwiched onto the
xylophone. The largest slat is one and half feet and shortest is 6 inches. Later on, the slates are
drilled with holes so that strings, which hold them to the xylophone, can be passed through. There
are seven musical notes in the Western scale. The Myanmar Pattala has seven musical keys, which
are reproduced from the sounds of animals and also from Myanmar Oboe, which has seven holes.
In this ways we can see that although Myanmar musical instruments differ in shape and tone from
western musical instruments they all have the same musical notes. ~
The Hne (oboe) is one of the traditional wind instruments in Myanmar. It has been used in Myanmar
since ancient times and is created by using a metal horn, a wooden flute and a palm reed. The oboe
is a double-reed woodwind instrument having a high pitch and penetrating tone. There are two kinds
of Myanma oboe namely big oboe and small oboe. Big oboe has more bass than the small. Big oboe
has been used in Myanmar for many years and it is said to have come into use in 211 in the
Myanmar era. It is used to play the melody particularly in Byawsi, Yegin, Nayi, Thapyay and Yadu
music. The small oboe has been commonly used from 1290 and 1300 in the Myanmar era up to
now. It is played not only for the tunes of Ozi. Dhobat. Si and Byaw music but also essentially for
Myanmar Orchestra at Myanmar opera.So. Myanma oboe is a vital wind instrument among
Myanmar musical instruments. ~

Myanma Saing Waing—Myanmar Orchestra

The musical ensemble called "Saing Waing" in Myanmar is the Burmese equivalent of a Western
orchestra. The ensemble is surrounded by fencing made of gilt teak or lacquer ware. This music is
considered professional and formal and mostly played indoors. The components of a Myanmar
orchestra are: 1) a circular series of drums (pat-lone); 2) circular series of gongs (kyay-wai); 3)
gongs (mong-sai); 4) bamboo clappers (war-let-kote); 5) oboe/flute (hnae); 6) timing bells (si); 7)
bamboo (warr); 8) short drum (si-toe); 9) cymbals (lin-gwin); 10) six drum set (chauk-lone-pat); and
11 Great drum (pat-ma-gyee). [Source: Myanmar Travel Information ~]
The heart of a "Saing Waing" is composed of a circle of 21 drums (pat-lone). In the center of the 21
drums sits the leader of the drums who moves his hands very quickly to direct the drum music The
leader of the saing-waing orchestra is the central player of the drum-circle. He is always courteously
addressed as ywar-sar (literally “eater of a village”, or “lord of the village”). In the old days ywar-sars
were appointed by the Myanmar kings to rule big and prosperous villages. A big double-faced drum
is hung on the body of a mythical figure. This mythical figure is known as "Pyinsa Yupa", which is a
combination of five animals: elephant, bullock, horse, carp and toenayar, or alternately, a lion,
elephant, buffalo, carp and hinthar. The Pyinsa Yupa is supported by tripods. This drum is beaten
with great force. Accentuating the drums is a circle of 18 bronze gongs. Another person sits in the
middle of the gongs directing the gong music. ~
Other instruments: 1) a group of six drumlets, consisting of one round drum, a medium size drum., a
pair of bronze cymbals and two sets of bamboo clappers (wa-let-khot); 2) one oboe and one flute
(hne); 3) a pair of timing instruments called "See" (two small bronze cymbals for the fingers); and 4)
"War" (very small clappers. just for the fingers). Altogether there are 31 drums of various sizes,
which correspond to the 31 planes of living beings according to Buddhism. ~
The Myanmar music ensemble is not an "orchestra " in the Western sense of the term in which
"orchestra" means a full array of strings, wood-winds, brass and percussion instruments performing
Western music in front under the direction of the conductor. Visually Myanmar orchestra is an array
of of gongs and drums with a few other, mostly percussive instruments, thrown in. Spectacular in
appearance and unique in musical tone, the saing-waing orchestra contains no stringed instruments.
The xylophone too is absent, it being confined to concert performances. ~

Burmese Saing Waing Orchestra Drums and Gongs

 At the forefront of the saing-waing orchestra is the pat – waing (drum circle), a group of twenty-one
drums of different sizes arranged in a circular order which make the tune. The kyee-naung waing
(sharp – toned brass gong circle) and the maung waing (mellow-toned bronze gongs) support the
"drum circle.” The left-hand and right-hand combinations and permutations of the players of the three
instruments are almost identical. [Source: Myanmar Travel Information ~]
The tympant corner (pat-ma – gyaung) of the saing-waing consists of the " big drum "(pat-ma-gyi)
held up from above by the enormous figure of a mythical "Phinsa-Rupa” (meaning an animal with
different parts of five animals), the medium-sized support – drum (sea-khunt), the six smaller base
drums (chauk – lone-pat) and the stick-struck drum (si-doh). As companions are two pairs of big and
medim-sized cymbals (lin-kwin), small tempo-keeping cymbals (than-lwin), hollowed-out wooden
block or hollowed-out giant bamboo with closed ends, and the irrepressible bamboo clappers
(warlekkoke). The drum circle and the brass gong circle are situated behind a circular frame or
fence. The circumference of the drum circle is about 5 meters. The fence is about 80 centimeters
high. ~
The brass gongs-circle is smaller. The fence is about 55 centimeters high and circle is
approximately two thirds the circumference of the circular frame for the drum circle. The bronze
gongs are suspended by means of ropes between five wooden frames, three of which are placed flat
on a box, The other two, the largest ones, are set upright. ~
Except for the si-soh the drums are all tuned by certain amounts of pat-sa (drum-feed) which is a
mixture of wood-ash and cooked rice kneaded thoroughly. The dough-like mixture is stuck onto the
centers of the ox-skin surfaces. To lower the tone: add more. To raise the tone: remove little by little
and tidy up with wet fingers or thumb. Sometimes, changes of weather, raise or lower their tuning of
the gongs. They are then retuned by hammering them (bronze ones) or by applying bees wax and
lead fillings inside the hollow of the bosses (brass ones). ~
The highest measure of art for a saing-musicians, particularly the drum circle players, is to perform
for a dramatic troupe. Whereas Moha Guta plays an indispensable role in Myanmar saing-music. the
Myanmar saing-music plays an important part in Myanmar drama. Myanmar saing-music and
Myanmar theater developed simultaneously as music was created to provide patterns of "
expression "of emotions for dramatic situations. Burmese music produce by saing-orcestra does
express emotions in the same way of Western operas and musicals. The moods, plots and theme of
Burmese plays are matters of conventions, with fixed conventional passages and musical pieces for
the orchestra: such as lay-kin and bein-maung for storms, flights fights, chases and commotions;
ngo-chin or ah-pu taik for grief, despair and weeping; chute for stealth; bone-tauk for happiness and
jollity; baw –lei and hmaing for celestials; nat-doe for evil spirits; wai-tar for water crafts and
swimming; and hunget-hyi for keineras. These dramatic (musical) conventions have been firmly
embedded into the Burmese consciousness since childhood, so much so that Burmese feel a twinge
of emotion when the hero (mintha) or the heroine (minthamee) starts singing the familiar ngo-chin
(wailing song) in vibrant strain. At the end of the song the orchestra crashes in crescendo with the
big pat-ma beating vigorously booming in synchronisation with heart-beats and tears of the theater-
goers. ~

Karen Bronze Drums—an Ancient Animist Art Form

Dr. Richard M. Cooler wrote in “The Art and Culture of Burma”: “The use and manufacture of bronze
drums is the oldest continuous art tradition in Southeast Asia. It began some time before the 6th
century B.C. in northern Vietnam and later spread to other areas such as Burma, Thailand,
Indonesia and China. The Karen adopted the use of bronze drums at some time prior to their 8th
century migration from Yunnan into Burma where they settled and continue to live in the low
mountains along the Burma - Thailand border. During a long period of adoption and transfer, the
drum type was progressively altered from that found in northern Vietnam (Dong Son or Heger Type
I) to produce a separate Karen type (Heger Type III). In 1904, Franz Heger developed a
categorization for the four types of bronze drums found in Southeast Asia that is still in use today.
[Source: “The Art and Culture of Burma,” Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Professor Emeritus Art History of
Southeast Asia, Former Director, Center for Burma Studies =]
“The vibrating tympanum is made of bronze and is cast as a continuous piece with the cylinder.
Distinguishing features of the Karen type include a less bulbous cylinder so that the cylinder profile is
continuous rather than being divided into three distinct parts. Type III has a markedly protruding lip,
unlike the earlier Dong Son drums. The decoration of the tympanum continues the tradition of the
Dong Son drums in having a star shaped motif at its center with concentric circles of small, two-
dimensional motifs extending to the outer perimeter. =
“In Burma the drums are known as frog drums (pha-si), after the images of frogs that invariably
appear at four equidistant points around the circumference of the tympanum. A Karen innovation
was the addition of three-dimensional figures to one side of the cylinder so that insects and animals,
but never humans, are often represented descending the trunk of a stylized tree. The frogs on the
tympanum vary from one to three and, when appearing in multiples, are stacked atop each other.
The number of frogs in each stack on the tympanum usually corresponds to the number of figures on
the cylinder such as elephants or snails. The numerous changes of motif in the two- and three-
dimensional ornamentation of the drums have been used to establish a relative chronology for the
development of the Karen drum type over approximately one thousand years.” =

Uses of Bronze Drums

Dr. Richard M. Cooler wrote in “The Art and Culture of Burma”: “Bronze drums were used among
the Karen as a device to assure prosperity by inducing the spirits to bring rain, by taking the spirit of
the dead into the after-fife and by assembling groups including the ancestor spirits for funerals,
marriages and house-entering ceremonies. The drums were used to entice the spirits of the
ancestors to attend important occasions and during some rituals the drums were the loci or seat of
the spirit. [Source: “The Art and Culture of Burma,” Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Professor Emeritus Art
History of Southeast Asia, Former Director, Center for Burma Studies =]
“It appears that the oldest use of the drums by the Karen was to accompany the protracted funeral
rituals performed for important individuals. The drums were played during the various funeral events
and then, among some groups, small bits of the drum were cut away and placed in the hand of the
deceased to accompany the spirit into the afterlife. It appears that the drums were never used as
containers for secondary burial because there is no instance where Type III drums have been
unearthed or found with human remains inside. The drums are considered so potent and powerful
that they would disrupt the daily activities of a household so when not in use, they were placed in the
forest or in caves, away from human habitation. They were also kept in rice barns where when
turned upside down they became containers for seed rice; a practice that was thought to improve the
fertility of the rice. Also, since the drums are made of bronze, they helped to deter predations by
scavengers such as rats or mice. =
“The drums were a form of currency that could be traded for slaves, goods or services and were
often used in marriage exchanges. They were also a symbol of status, and no Karen could be
considered wealthy without one. By the late nineteenth century, some important families owned as
many as thirty. The failure to return a borrowed drum often led to internecine disputes among the
Karen. =
“Although the drums were cast primarily for use by groups of non-Buddhist hill people, they were
used by the Buddhist kings of Burma and Thailand as musical instruments to be played at court and
as appropriate gifts to Buddhist temples and monasteries. The first known record of the Karen drum
in Burma is found in an inscription of the Mon king Manuha at Thaton, dated A.D. 1056.. The word
for drum in this inscription occurs in a list of musical instruments played at court and is the
compound pham klo: pham is Mon while klo is Karen. The ritual use of Karen drums in lowland royal
courts and monasteries continued during the centuries that followed and is an important instance of
inversion of the direction in which cultural influences usually flow from the lowlands to the hills. =

Playing and Making Bronze Drums

Dr. Richard M. Cooler wrote in “The Art and Culture of Burma”: “When played, the drums were
strung up by a cord to a tree limb or a house beam so that the tympanum hung at approximately a
forty-five degree angle. The musician placed his big toe in the lower set of lugs to stabilize the drum
while striking the tympanum with a padded mallet. Three different tones may be produced if the
tympanum is struck at the center, edge, and midpoint. The cylinder was also struck but with long
strips of stiff bamboo that produces a sound like a snare drum. The drums were not tuned to a single
scale but had individualized sounds, hence they could be used effectively as a signal to summon a
specific group to assemble. It is said that a good drum when struck could be heard for up to ten
miles in the mountains. The drums were played continuously for long periods of time since the Karen
believe that the tonal quality of a drum cannot be properly judged until it is played for several hours.
[Source: “The Art and Culture of Burma,” Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Professor Emeritus Art History of
Southeast Asia, Former Director, Center for Burma Studies =]
For the Karen, the bronze drums perform a vital service in inducing the spirits to bring the rains.
When there is a drought, the Karens take the drums into the fields where they are played to make
the frogs croak because the Karens believe that if the frogs croak, it is sign that rain will surely fall.
Therefore, the drums are also known as "Karen Rain Drums" =
“The town of Nwe Daung, 15 kilometers south of Loikaw, capital of Kayah (formerly Karenni) State,
is the only recorded casting site in Burma. Shan craftsmen made drums there for the Karens from
approximately 1820 until the town burned in 1889. Karen drums were cast by the lost wax technique;
a characteritic that sets them apart from the other bronze drum types that were made with moulds. A
five metal formula was used to create the alloy consisting of copper, tin, zinc, silver and gold. Most of
the material in the drums is tin and copper with only traces of silver and gold. The Karen made
several attempts in the first quarter of the twentieth century to revive the casting of drums but none
were successful. During the late 19th century, non-Karen hill people, attracted to the area by the
prospect of work with British teak loggers, bought large numbers of Karen drums and transported
them to Thailand and Laos. Consequently, their owners frequently incorrectly identify their drums as
being indigenous to these countries. =

Early History of Traditional Music of Myanmar

In A.D. 802, thirty-five Pyu and Mon musicians were sent to the Chinese kings court where they
were welcomed and raised a lot of attention with their music and dance professions. The most
famous of Burmese instruments—the “Burmese Harp”—has similarities with ancient Mesopotamian
instruments and believed to be imported via old trade routes between India and China. [Source: Ingo
Stoevesandt, The Music of Southeast Asia ///]
The only evidence of the musical treasures of the Pyu perod (2nd century B.C. to 1050) and the
Mon period (825-1057) is the troop of performers visiting the Chinese court in 802. During the Pagan
period (A.D. 1044 to 1287), the Burmese defeated both groups and incorporated their musical
traditions, which in turn were slightly influenced by Indian and Indonesian traditions. In the
"Shwesandaw" pagoda an inscription from 1093, uses Mon term "pantara" do describe all singers
and dancers. None of the instruments of this periods survived, only the crocodile-shaped zither of
the Mon people and the famous "Saung gauk" harp are still in use. ///
There is only fragmentary knowledge of the early history of Myanmar classical dance and music. It
seems clear, however, that the present style and technique evolved over some 1,500 years,
incorporating elements of the earlier Mon and Puy traditions predating the arrival of the Burmese. Dr.
Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy Helsinki wrote: “ As may be expected, Indian influences
are clearly present, but it is not exactly known how the Indian influence was received. It is probable
that the source in India was the Pala dynasty off Eastern India, which was partly contemporaneous
with the classical Pagan period in Myanmar from the 11th to 13th centuries. Pala culture deeply
influenced the arts and architecture of Pagan. Thus it is possible that the influence was also felt in
the field of in dance”—and music. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen, Asian Traditional Theater and
Dance website, Theater Academy Helsinki |-|]
The Tang Dynasty chronicles from 801 “give a full description of the instruments used in the
performances as well as of the materials of the costume and ornaments worn by the performers. The
dances were performed by groups varying from two to ten dancers, among whom were tattooed
men. The performances were received with great appreciation by the Chinese court, and minor titles
were bestowed on the group leaders. |-|
Visual evidence of Pyu dance and music also exists. “Perhaps the best-known Pyu metalwork, now
in the collections of the National Museum in Yangon, consists of five separate bronze reliefs, approx.
15 centimeters in height, depicting three dancing musicians and two dancers. They are dated to c.
the 6th and 7th centuries. Two of the musicians are clearly depicted with their instruments: a flute
and a pot drum. The third musician evidently plays the cymbals. This kind of small standing
orchestra playing the above instruments was often shown in Indian dance reliefs from the 7th to the
12th centuries. |-|

Later History of Traditional Music of Myanmar

In the post-Pagan era the term "thabin" is used for musicians, puppet performers and dancers. Thai
influencies increased after the Burmese sacked the ancient capital city Ayutthaya in 1767. At that
time, even the "thabin wu" (minister of music) was a Thai musician. The Pegu court sent out
scientists in 1785 to Cambodia and Java to study the local music traditions there. In 1787, the
xylophones and harps, which formerly also took part in folk ensembles, were officiallly made part of
chamber and court music. In 1857, when Mandalay became the capital city, Thai influences were
reconfirmed with the popularity of several Thai-influence plays.
In 1885, the British occupation of Mandalay opened court music to the public as the abolition of the
monarchy led court artists and musicians to seek new ways to earn their money for living. There was
also an impact on the theater traditions, where Western ideas of performance were mixed up with
local traditions. In 1890, the first instrumental music without any dancing or singing ("balat saing")
appeared, and in 1895 traditional instruments like the crocodile zither and the bent harp disappeared
in the use of bigger orchestras. ///
Up to this point, dancing, singing, acting and performing are strictly bound to each other and could
not be separated. At that every instrumentalist started learning his instrument by learning how to
sing properly first, and every dancer or performer was always expected to sing or play an instrument
as well. Students learned the first 13 "kyo" songs by imitating their teacher, who played them in three
levels of difficulty and without any rhythm. Before the notation of the "Mahagita" ("Book of Songs"),
no musical notation was written down, only the text of a song. Because to these learning methods,
vocal music stayed in the center of Burmese music and traditional pieces were transferred orally by
imitation. ///

Traditional Burmese Ensemble and Chamber Music

The difference between ensemble music (folk music) and the chamber music is distinguished in
some respects by the loudness of the instruments used. One could say that the ensemble music is
the "loud" music, referring to its instruments, like the drum circle, the gong circle, the oboe and
several drums. The music is based on rhythm more than melodies ones and has similarities with
Thai classical music. [Source: Ingo Stoevesandt, The Music of Southeast Asia ///]
The most common ensemble is the "saing waing" ensemble ("hang with chords in circle"),
consisting of 6 to 10 players, with a drum and a gong circle plus a main drum in front and the oboe
and the cymbals and clappers in the back of the ensemble. The oboe leads the melody with many
ornamentations, while the clappers and cymbals mark the rhythmical metre. The drum circle is the
main instrument, the player of this instrument is also the troop leader. All melodies performed are
simultaneously by a number of singers or musicians doing f two or more versions of the same
melody. ///
Nowadays, most ensembles incorporate with western instruments Only the "nat pwe" (trance dance
with a medium who always is a transsexual performer) is performed strictly on traditional
instruments. Other ensembles focus on the usage of different drums, where the name of the main
drum also gives the name for the ensemble, for example the "Ozi", "Doupa" and "Bounci" ensembles
(beaten by hand) or the "Byo" and "Sito" ensembles (beaten with sticks). In 1870, 34 drummers were
placed in the court hall for the kings appearance and leaving, and during travels he was followed by
an ensemble of five drummers. ///
During festive performances, "Se gyi" drum dancers mixed with the audience. Unfortunately, some
ceremonial ensembles suffered from lower respect, like the funeral ensembles who were understood
as "unclean". All ensemble music is bound to theater or dance performance, and during the rare
instrumental "bala saing" performances, the player needs high virtuosity and entertainers make jokes
in order to keep the audience interested in the music.
Chamber music uses different instruments than ensemble music. Most of these musical instruments
are performed by women today, though there is no strict rule that dictates this. All chamber music is
performed in a duet of a harp/xylophone player and a vocalist who controls the tempo of the music
with cymbals and bamboo clappers. The "modal" structure of the chamber music was a big influence
on ensemble music.