Mor Lam - Instrumentation

Instrumentation

Many genres (including the khap of northern Laos and lam gon and lam phuen in Isan) are traditionally accompanied only by the khene, but ensembles have become more common. Most commercial artists now use at least some electric instruments, most often a keyboard set up to sound like a 1960s Farfisa-style organ; electric guitars are also common. Other western instruments are also becoming popular, such as the saxophone and the drum kit. Many of the traditional instruments associated with morlam are reflective of Laos and the Isan region and are not found outside these areas, despite the great similarity across Southeast Asia, and are also commonly found in classical genres and court music of the region.

Traditional instruments used in mor lam ensembles include:

• pi (ປີ່, ปี่, IPA: piː), bamboo oboes of various kinds and sizes.
• vot (ໂຫວດ, โหวด, IPA: voːt), a circular panpipe.
• khuy (ຂຸ່ຍ, ขลุ่ย, IPA: kʰuj/kʰluj), various types of double-reed and single-reed bamboo flutes.
• heun (ຫືນ, หืน, IPA: hɯːn), a type of jaw harp.
• chakhe (ຈະເຂ້, จะเข้, IPA: tɕaʔ kʰeː), a type of zither.
• Saw u (ຊໍ, ซอ, IPA: sɔː), a class of bowed fiddle-like instruments.
• khim (ຂິມ, ขิม, IPA: kʰim), a hammered dulcimer.
• phin (ພິນ, พิณ, IPA: pʰin), a three-stringed lute.
• hai song (ໄຫຊອງ, ไหซอง, IPA: haj sɔːŋ), a taught string over an earthernware jar.
• kachappi (ກະຈັບປີ່, กระจับปี่, IPA: kaʔ t͡ɕap piː/kraʔ t͡ɕap piː), a two-stringed, four-coursed ancient lute.
• ranat (ຣະນາດ, ระนาด, IPA: haʔ naːt/raʔ naːt), various kinds of xylophones, the most important being the pong lang (ໂປງລາງ, โปงลาง, IPA: poŋ laːŋ).
• sing (ຊິ່ງ, ฉิ่ง, IPA: siŋ/t͡ɕʰ), cymbal-like instruments used to maintain tempo.
• sap (ຊາບ, ฉาบ, IPA: saːp/t͡ɕʰaːp), another cymbal-like instrument attached with chords.
• kap (ກັບ, กรับ, IPA: kap/krap), a wooden clapper.
• kong (ກອງ, กลอง, IPA: kɔːŋ/klɔːŋ), various types of hand drums.
• khong (ຄ້ອງ, ฆ้อง, IPA: kʰɔːŋ), various types of gongs.

In more modern music, instruments such as accordions, electric guitars, keyboard set to sound like a 1960's Farfisa-style organ, saxophones and drum kits are often used as replacements or additions to the above-mentioned instruments.