Myanmar Music
Myanmar Orchestra or Myanma Saing Waing
The musical ensemble called "Saing Waing" in
Myanmar is the sense of an Orchestra from the
western countries. The entire fencing is made of
teak or lacquer ware and is gilded. This is
considered as more professional, formal and mostly
played indoors.
It is composed of 21 drums (pat-lone) arranged in
a rounded order, where in the centre sits the leader
of this Orchestra. This person moves ones hands very
quickly, in a rounded position to produce the music.
A circle of 18 bronze gongs (kyay-wain) are
similarly arranged too, with another person in the
middle.
A big double-faced drum hung on the body of a
mythical figure. This mythical figure is known as "Pyinsa
Yupa", which is a combination of 5 animals:
elephant, bullock, horse, carp, and toenayar.
Alternately lion, elephant, buffalo, carp, and
hinthar. This figure is supported by tripods. This
drum is beaten with force.
Other than the above instruments, a group of six
drumlets consisting of one round drum, a medium size
drum, a pair of bronze cymbals, two sets of bamboo
clappers (wa-let-khot), one oboe and one flute (hne)
and a pair of timing instruments called "See" (two
small bronze cymbals, for the fingers) and "War"
(very small clappers, just for the fingers),
completes the rest of the Saing Waing.
Here are some components of Myanmar Orchestra.
- Circular series of drums (pat-lone)
- Circular series of gongs (kyay-wai)
- Gongs (mong-sai)
- Bamboo clapper (war-let-kote)
- Oboe/flute (hnae)
- Timing bells (si)
- Bamboo (warr)
- Short drum (si-toe)
- Cymbals (lin-gwin)
- Six drum set (chauk-lone-pat)
- Great drum (pat-ma-gyee)
These 31 drums of various sizes were based on 31
planes of living beings, according to Buddhism.
|
