MAPEH

1. MAPEH 8
MUSIC
Music of Cambodia and Myanmar

2. Lesson 3
Music of Cambodia and Myanmar

3. Essential Questions
1. What is instrumental ensemble to you?
2. What are the traits of an instrumental
ensemble musician?

4. Lesson Focus
• Cambodia and Myanmar have a lot of
similarities in the musical instruments and its
characteristics and functions with some
countries in the Southeast Asia.

5. Cambodian Music
• Cambodia is one of the most beautiful countries
in Southeast Asia. It is located at the center of the
former Khmer kingdom of Angkor, a great empire
that dominated Southeast Asia for 600 years. Its
music flourished in both village and court
settings, some associated with specific functions
and entertainment. There are different kinds of
music used for different activities in the villages
of Cambodia. Kar music is used in the
celebrations of weddings, arakk music
accompanies the rituals during communications
with spirits, ayai repartee singing for some
entertainment, yike and basakk for theater
performances.

6. • Varied activities are also done inside the
court. There are dances, masked plays,
shadow plays, and religious ceremonies
accompanied by different ensembles of
musicians.

7. The Pinpeat Ensemble
• The Pinpeat ensemble is an orchestra that
accompanies the different royal activities of the
courts and temples in Cambodia like religious
ceremonies, court dances, masked and shadow
plays. It has similarities with the Thai Piphat
ensemble which consists of nine to ten musical
instruments. Its musical expression emphasizes
gong ensembles, drum ensembles, and free-reed
mouth organs with gourd wind chests. The
ensemble consists of the following instruments.

8. • Samphor – is a double-headed drum played
by using hands.
• Oneat – is a xylophone instrument.
• Ching – is a finger cymbals.
• Skorthom – is a two-big drum instrument.
• Kongvong – is a set of gongs in circular
formation.
• Chamrieng – are the vocals.

9. • Cambodian instrumental and vocal functions
have similarities with other countries’ ensembles.
For example the Mahori ensembles of Thailand
accompanies entertainment activities in the
Cambodian court, the inclusion of choruses with
large orchestra based on struck keys and gongs
comes from the gamelan orchestra of Java,
Indonesia; and some are adopted and absorbed
from Chinese, European and Indian influences.

10. Myanmar Music
• Myanmar was known as Burma until 1989. Its music is
melodious, generally without harmony, and is usually
in common time signature of 4/4 (na-yi-se). 2/4 (wa-
let-se), or 8/16 (wa-let-a-myan). Burmese classical
music ensembles are divided into outdoor and indoor
ensembles. Sidaw, also known as sidawgyi, is an
outdoor ensemble in royal courts. It is usually
performed in a royal ploughing ceremony, an ancient
royal rite held in many Asian plays in festivals. Saung,
on the other hand, is an indoor form composed of a
female singer accompanied by a traditional ensemble.

11. Sidaw Ensemble
a. Hnegyi
is a large double-reed pipe
b. Si
is a bell,
c. Wa
is a clapper
d. Gandama
is a double-headed drum

12. Saung Ensemble
a. Saung
is an arched harp. It is known as the national musical Burmese
instrument.
b. Patala
is a xylophone. It is tuned similar to the diatonic scale
c. Mi gyaung
is a crocodile-shaped fretted, plucked zither with three strings. It
is similar to the Thai chakhe, the Cambodian takhe and the Mon
kyam (pronounced “chyam” )
d. Palwei
Is a flute
e. Tayaw
is a fiddle
f. Hnyin
is a small mouth organ

13. Folk Music
• Myanmar has extensive collection of classical
songs called Mahagita. These songs are divided
into different types from the oldest repertoire like
royal court music, worship and horse’s dance
songs, and songs for longing and sorrow. The
saung-gauk usually accompanies these songs.
• They also have variety of folk music. Byaw is a
distinct form often played at religious festivals
and is sung to the beat of a long and thin drum.

14. What have we learned?
What are the vocal music of Cambodia and
Myanmar?
Cambodia Myanmar
Ayai repartee
Yike
Saung

15. What are the ensembles of Cambodia and
Myanmar? Classify their respective musical
instruments
Pinpeat
Ensemble
Cambodia
Sampor
Kongvong
Chamrieng
Skorthom
Ching
Oneat

16. Sidaw
Ensemble
Myanmar
Hnegyi
Si
Wa
Gandama

17. Saung
Ensemble
Myanmar
Saung
Patala
Mi
gyaung
Palwel
Tayaw
Hnyin