The Dan Tranh is also known
as Dan Thap Luc or sixteen-stringed zither. Its shape resembles a bamboo tube
that has been sliced vertically in half. The Dan Tranh has mostly been seen
performed by female musicians in Vietnamese traditional dress (Ao Dai). When
played, the instrument is placed in front of the musician, who uses her right
hand to regulate the pitch and vibrate, while plucking the strings with her
left hand.
The 16-string zither has a
rectangular sounding box, about 110 centimeters long that tapers about 13 cm
toward an end, with a warped sound board made of unvarnished light wood. The
sides are made of hard wood decorated with various designs, either lacquered or
inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The bottom is made of light wood with sound holes.
The broader end of the sound box is pierced with 16 holes and reinforced with a
metal band.
Toward the middle of the
sound board there are 16 bridges made of wood or bone tipped with copper that
can be moved to vary the tension of the strings, thus creating various notes.
At the narrower end of the box are sixteen pegs for tuning. The strings are
metal and tuned to the pentatonic scale.
dantranhThe Dan Tranh sits
flat like an autoharp and is plucked using all fingers. Players will usually
wear picks made of plastic or tortoise shell on their fingers to facilitate
plucking. The sound reverberates through the hollow wooden box below the
strings. Sounds can be altered through cupping, pressing or stroking the
strings instead of simply plucking.
The Dan Tranh originates
from the ancient capital city of Hue, where women once played it for royalty,
and the instrument is still considered a symbol of the city. The dan tranh is
normally played unaccompanied, but it can also be used to accompany a singer or
as part of an orchestra.
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