Myanmar Music Ensemble

Saing Waing is an orchestra which all Myanmar traditional instruments including both full-scale instruments and non full-scale instruments are played together.
Under the name of Myanmar traditional instruments, there are five kinds of musical instruments namely, Kyay (Brass), Kyoe (String), Tha-yay (Hide), Lay (Wind) and Lakkoke (clappers). But in here, Saing Waing, string instruments are absent. So, it is totally different from European Orchestra which of main instruments are strings. Myanmar Saing Waing is dominated by drums. There are 31 drums in the whole orchestra actually, this is represented to the 31 existences of living being from Buddhism.
In Myanmar Saing Waing, the full-scale instruments are placed at the right side and the non full-scale instruments are placed at the left side. Pat Saing (Drums Circle), Kyay Wain (Brass gongs circle), Maung Saing (Gongs) and Hnae (Oboe) are full-scale instruments and Pat-ma (Bass drum), Sa-Khunt (Double side drum), Chout-Lone Pat (the smaller six drums set), Si to (stick-struck Drums), La-guin (cymbols) and Se and Wa (the Tempo keepers) are non full-scale instruments. Although, they have been divided into two groups, the players perform their individual instrument in unison under the conduct of the Pat-Saing player.
Actually, in Myanmar orchestra, there are neither notification system nor conductor like European Orchestra. This is an extraordinary thing of Myanmar Saing Waing. Among the players, there is an understanding upon what they are performing. As soon as the Pat Saing player started his music, the other players know how to support him systematically. And, Kyay Maung Waing player and Maung Saing player will support the notes omitted by Saing Waing player. So, every player has to know by heart the left group and right group combination and permutation of Myanmar Saing Waing.

Pat Saing (or) Pat Waing (Drums Circle)

Pat derived from Mon word 'Vart' and 'Vart' also derived from Sanskrit word ' Vadra' which means ' Instrument'. 'Saing' means 'Suspend' or ' hang '. So, 'Pat Saing ' means ' The hung Instrument '.
In Pat-saing, there are 21 drums of different sizes arranged in a circular order which makes the tune. Tuning is done by applying Pat-Sa (tuning-paste, the mixture of wood ash and cooked rice kneaded thoroughly) at the centre of the cow-leather surface of drums. Drums are tied by ox-leather string. Although tuning has been done, it may be changed by the temperature. So, the player's ears must be sharp and must have the ability to control his tunes very well.
The appearance of the Pat-Saing which we see nowadays was designed by Sayar Seint and Sein Bayder, with the intention to be a portable one. It has 8 detachable planks and one of these planks has an opening through in ovel shape which called ' Minn-Pauk '.
The players always pay respect this entrance before they enter, while their teachers are dedicated. Moreover, whenever they enter, they keep their feet with great care, not to touch with the lower part of Minn-pauk.

The Tympan corner (Pat-ma-gyaung)

It consists of Pat-ma-gyi (Bass drum) which is hung on the body of mythical ' Pyinsa Rupa '(five-physical beauty), an animal with the 5 different parts of five animals, Sa-khunt (Double-side drum), Chout-lone-pat (the six smaller drums) and Si-to (Stick-struck drum).Its accompany is a pair of Lagwin (Cymbals).

Kyay Maung Waing (Brass-Gongs circle)

Kyay Maung is the same in appearance with Pat-Saing. But it is smaller and has 18 Brass gongs which are suspended within the circular frame. Bee-wax is used as the tuning-paste and two sticks covered with ox-leather at the top are needed to play this instrument.

Maung Saing (Gongs)

It consists of 17 gongs and they are mounted on 5 rows in rectangular frame. It needs two sticks to play like Brass-gongs circle but these sticks' tops are covered with soft velvet. Tones are different by the content amount of metal in each gong.

Hnae (Oboe)

People say, 'In western orchestra, if the Piano is the king, the Violin must be the Queen. Then, I would like to say 'if the Pat Waing is the King of the Myanmar Saing Waing, Oboe will be the Queen! '
Oboe is the wood-wind instrument having a high pitch, penetrating tone among other musical instruments. Actually, it is a kind of flute but the difference one is the metal horn which is hung at the base end. This part drives the sounds to get a certain distance. The flute is made with Sha-wood (acacia-catechu) and the reed is made with the leaf of female palm tree. There are two kinds of Myanmar Oboe namely Big Oboe and Small Oboe. Big Oboe is commonly used and it is played for Myanmar tunes called Byaw-si, Yay kin, Nayi and Yadu music.

свернуть