Week 7: Assignment

Due: March 17

CH 6. Southeast Asia: Vietnam and Thailand

1. Which two materials is Southeast Asia especially known for to make instruments and
why?

2. In terms of demographics and categorizing music of the region, what distinguishes

lowland from upland people? Aside from indigenous peoples, what immigrants migrated
to Southeast Asia and what kinds of music did they cultivate throughout the region,
mostly in cities?

3. Listen to example CD 1.9, “Vietnam: Central Highlands Bronze Gong Ensemble” to

answer the following questions:
a. How is this performance an example of interlocking construction (see pg. 122)?
b. What is the phonic structure/ texture (i.e., homophonic? Polyphonic?
Monophonic? Heterophonic?)
c. The authors state that the form for this performance is “iterative.” What do they
mean by that?
d. In what contexts in which gong ensembles in Vietnam like this one performed?

4. Listen to example CD 1.10, “Vietnam: Nhac Tai Tu Amateur Chamber Music” to answer
the following questions:
a. What kinds of instruments, and their names, are featured in this recording?
b. What is the phonic structure/ texture (i.e., homophonic? Polyphonic?
Monophonic? Heterophonic?)
c. In a sentence or two, in what ways does the Vietnamese system (exemplified in
this recording) resemble the raga system of South Asia?
d. What kind of music is tai tu (i.e., for rituals such as possession rites? Court
ceremonies in the former imperial capital? Entertainment?)

5. Choose one from this list of songs by one of the most famous Vietnamese rappers, Đen or
Đen Vâu. What are your impressions of the track?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnZxamAbSnw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukHK1GVyr0I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oigiXW6XyCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVbv-PJXm14

6. Listen to example CD 1.11, “Thailand: Classical Piphat Ensemble” to answer the

following questions:
 a. What kinds of instruments and their names are featured in this recording? Try to
also include classifications of instruments discussed in our earlier assignments
about the Horns-Bostel system.
b. In terms of meter and rhythmic structure, what is the role of the ching instrument?
c. What was the context for this kind of music in Thailand, in the nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries?

7. What is a wai khru in Thai society and what role does music play in it?

8. What is khon? Be sure to include what kind of ensemble typically accompanies a khon
performance and the significance of the Ramakein (see the purple box on pg. 135-6).

9. Watch this video about khon. What do you learn about the transmission of knowledge to
khon dancers, mask makers, puppetry etc.? https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=R93nHEoe3MI

10. Watch a few minutes of this khon performance (excuse the “wildfilmsindia.com” label; I
chose it because the recording is high quality): https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CdFF3dlE77E
Describe three aspects about the music and dance of this khon performance that
characterize this distinctive tradition.