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CAMBODIA
Cambodia - officially known as the
Kingdom of Cambodia
Cambodia
-one of the most beautiful
countries in Southeast Asia. It
is also known as
Kâmpŭchéa. It was the center of
the Khmer (Cambodian)
kingdom of Angkor, a great
empire that dominated
Southeast Asia for 600 years.
Angkor Wat was first a Hindu, then subsequently a
Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and the larges
religious monument in the world.
Phnom Penh - (literally, "Penh's Hill") takes its name
from the present Wat Phnom ("Hill Temple").
-It is the capital and largest city of Cambodia.
 Cambodian music gained a world-
wide reputation in the 1960s until the
dramatic political problems in Cambodia.
Art music is highly influenced by ancient
forms as well as Hindu forms.
Cambodian court music is roughly
similar to that of Java, Indonesia. They
feature choruses with large orchestras
based on struck keys and gongs.
Cambodian people also absorbed and
adopted Indian, Chinese, European, and
other cultures to suit their own traditions
The Pinpeat is a Cambodian
musical ensemble or an orchestra
that usually accompanies
ceremonial music of the royal
courts and temples. Music is
always part of their court dances,
masked plays,
shadow plays, and religious
ceremonies. This group is similar
to the Piphat ensemble of Thailand
 Pinpeat
Ensemble Kongvon
g

Skortho
m Sampho
Chhing
r Oneat
INDONESIA
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast
Asia comprising approximately 17,500
islands. With over 238 million people,
Indonesia is the world's fourth most
populous country and is the fourth biggest
nation of the world. Through interaction
with other cultures such as Indian, Arabic,
Chinese and European, a wide range of
musical styles has been developed. Today
the contemporary music of Indonesia is
popular not only in the region but also in
the neighbouring countries.
BOROBUDUR (BALI, INDONESIA) - the world's largest
Buddhist temple
 orobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Te
n Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.
BALI, INDONESIA
HOUSES ON TANA TORAJA, INDONESIA
Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, East Ja
nah Lot Temple, Bali
olcanoes in Indonesia
Java (Indonesian: Jawa; Javanese: ꦗꦗ)
is an island of Indonesia. With a
population roughly equal to Russia as
of 2014, (excluding the 3.7 million on
the island of Madura which is
administered as part of the province of
East Java), Java is the world's most
populous island, and one of the most
densely populated places in the world.
Java is the home of 57 percent of the
Indonesian population. The Indonesian
Jakarta
Capital of Indonesia
Jakarta, officially known as the
Special Capital Region of
Jakarta, is the capital and
largest city of Indonesia, and
one of the most populous urban
agglomerations in the world.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Bali
Island in Indonesia
Bali is an island and
province of Indonesia,
and includes a few
smaller neighbouring
islands, notably Nusa
BALI- TEMPLE DALEM PURWA
BALI- LAKE TEMPLE
Yogyakarta
City in Indonesia
Yogyakarta is a city and the
capital of Yogyakarta Special
Region in Java, Indonesia. It is
renowned as a centre of
classical Javanese fine art and
culture such as batik, ballet,
drama, music, poetry, and
PRAMBANAN TEMPLE
Surabaya
City in Indonesia
Surabaya is
Indonesia's second-
largest city with a
population of over 3.1
million, and the capital
There are two basic kinds of Indonesian music
scale:
• Slendro –five (5) equidistant tones in octave
• Peloq –heptatonic (7) tone scale with semi
tone

Both vocal and instrumental music in Indonesia

use slendro and peloq scales.
Polyphonic stratification kind of melody is
a result of hocket/Interlock.
Interlocking is a common technique
used in gong ensembles.
Irama –is an Indonesian term for tempo
Gamelan
The Gamelan or Gamelan
orchestra is the most popular
form of music in Indonesia.
There are many types of Gamelan
but the famous Javanese and
Balinese Gamelan are the most
famous. It contains a variety of
instruments such as
metallophones, xylophones,
Gamelan
Orchestra
Vocal music is used as
ornamentation of the Gamelan.
It is as important as gamelan.

1. Pesindhen is a female soloist

singer who sings with a
Gamelan

[Link] refers to the

CHARACTERIST
ICS
JAVANESEGAMELAN BALINESEGAMELAN
• Used for court music • Used for sacred music
• Consist of metallo- phone,
mostly gongs
• Percussion dominated
• Sudden change of tempo
and dynamics
• Style of playing gives • Sounds are very bright
solemn character and brilliant
• Used fast and rattling
sounds of cymbals
MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a federation of 13 states in
Southeast Asia, formed in 1963.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in
Southeast Asia. It is divided into two regions:
[Link] Malaysia –also known as Peninsular
Malaysia
[Link] Malaysia consists of thirteen states and
three federal territories. Chinese and Indian
cultural influences made their mark when trade
began in the country. Trading also increased
when immigrants flocked to Malaysia.
The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural,
which plays a large role in developing their
culture. The constitution declares Islam the state
Kuala Lumpur -is
the federal capital
and most populous
city in Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR
Petronas Twin
Towers
The tallest twin
towers in the world
Multi-racial groups that
influenced Malaysia’s music
genre:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Malaysian music is largely
based around percussion
instruments. It has multi-
cultural influence and is
believed to have originated
in the Kelantan-Pattani
region with a mixture of
The music of Malaysia may be categorized into
two types:

1. Classical and Folk music emerged during the

pre colonial period and still exists in the form
of vocal, dance, and theatrical music.
[Link] or Acculturated music developed
during the post-Portuguese period (16th
century). It contains elements from both local
music and foreign elements of Arabian, Persian,
Indian, Chinese, and Western musical and
theatrical sources.
Malaysian Musical Instruments
Musical instruments of Malaysia are
greatly associated with their culture
and roots. Due to colonization, the
stages of development of Malaysian
instruments are great. They share
some common features with Indian
musical instruments. After the
colonization of Malaysia by the
British, the musical development was
Musical ensembles and
types of performances in
Malaysia:
1. Agung and Kulintang
This is a gong-based musical
ensemble commonly used in
funerals and weddings in East
Malaysia. This type of ensemble is
similar to the kulintang of the
2. Kertok
This is a musical
ensemble from the Malay
Peninsula that consists of
xylophones played swiftly
and rhythmically in
traditional Malay functions.
3. Dikir Barat
This is a type of musical form
that is important to Malaysia’s
national culture.
It is performed by singing in groups
and often in a competitive manner
usually with percussion
instrumental
accompaniment or sometimes
4. Silat Melayu
This is a form of martial art that
is similar to t’ai chi. It originated
in the Malay Peninsula since
the Christian Era and is a
mixture of martial arts, dance,
and music usually accompanied
by gongs, drums, and Indian
oboes.
MYANMAR (BURMA)
Burma - officially the Republic of the Union
of Myanmar, commonly shortened to
Myanmar
Myanmar was known as Burma
until 1989. When the country’s name
was officially changed by the military
government that took over in 1988.
Early civilization in Myanmar dates
back to the 1st century
with archaeological evidences of
the Pyu Kingdoms of
Thayekhittaya (Sri Ksetra),
Beithano (Visnu), and Hanlin.
The capital of Myanmar, Yangon
(Rangoon) is known for the most
famous stupa in the country, the
Shwedagon Pagoda, along with a
temple complex around it.
CHWEDAGO- These stupas are a couple thousand years
older than th ity itself. The name comes from «Shwe»
(Burmese for "gold") and Dagon» (previously this
settlement was situated where the modern angon now
exists).
The music of Myanmar (or Burma) has
similarities with many other musical
traditions in the region, including
Chinese music and Thai music,
probably because its longest land
border is shared with China.
So, Cambodia has the Pinpeat
ensemble while Indonesia has the
Javanese and Balinese gamelans.
However, the Indonesian gamelans
have singers performing with them.
Myanmar’s musical instruments are
categorized into 2 types, the
loud sounding and soft
sounding. The loud sounding
instruments are performed in
open-air ensembles at
ceremonies and festivals. Most
of the Hsaing Waing
instruments belong to the loud
The Hsaing Waing is
Myanmar’s traditional folk
music ensemble.
It is made up mainly of
different gongs and drums
as well as other instruments
depending on the nature of
the performance.
 For more formal and classical
performances that are performed
indoors, the ensemble may be
accompanied by the saung gauk
the national instrument of (13-
string angular harp with soft sound)
Myanmar, the pattala (Burmese
xylophone), or the piano and violin,
both introduced during colonial
SAUNG GAUK
Myanmar Harp
hsaing waing (also spelt saing waing) is a traditional
Burmese folk musical ensemble, consisting of a number
of different gongs and drums, as well as other
instruments, depending on the nature of the
performance. These include the hne (a double reed
pipe), pat waing (a set of 21 drums in a circle), kyi
waing (small bronze gongs in a circular frame), maung
hsaing (larger bronze gongs in a rectangular frame), as
well as chauk lon pat (a set of 8 tuned drums), and si
and wa (bell and clapper).For more formal and classical
performances, the ensemble may be accompanied by
the saung gauk, the Burmese harp, the pattala, a
Burmese xylophone, or the piano and violin, both
introduced during colonial rule. Hsaing waing musicians
use a hemitonic and anhemitonic scale similar to the
Other instruments in the Hsaing Waing are the:

chauk lon pat (a maung hsaing (larger

set of 8 tuned bronze gongs in a
drums) rectangular frame)

hne (a double
reed pipe)

pat waing (a
set of 21
drums in a
circle) kyi waing (small
bronze gongs in a
circular frame)
The "H'ne" is a multiple reed
oboe with a remarkable crooked
form.
It knows seven
nearly equidistant
playing holes which
were basic for the
development of the
main Burmese
scales in both
The two common sizes "ci" (big) and "kalei"
(small) are used for different purposes, the
bigger one for slow tempi and more dignity,
the latter one for festival occasions.

There are attempts to compare this

instrument to other reed areophones like
the Chinese "Suona" or even more the
Indian "Xaranai", and regarding the fact
that Burma borders both countries and
always was visited on several ancient
trade roads, this might be not really false
The center of each Burmese ensemble, giving
name to the idea of instruments hung up in a
circle "hsain wain", is the "pat wain" drum circle.
The traditional instrument knows 19, today
(after 1920) 21 tuned drums with a height from
13 to 41 cm, hung down from a circeling
wooden rack or stand with the player in the
middle.

The drums get tuned by filling in "pa sa", a paste

of rice and ashes.
The more "pa sa" is isnerted, the lower sounds
The "pat wain" player is known as
"hsain hsaya", which means he is the
"master of hsain" and thus the main
leader and director of the complete
ensemble.

Actually, the "pat wain" also appears as

a part of the "zat pwe" shows, where
theatre versions of the "mahagita"
(book of songs) get performed with
interesting duets and antiphones
Pat Wain
Also known as the pat waing.
Ornately carved wooden frames
are arranged in a circle, and a set
of tuned drums, between
19 and 23 in total, are suspended
inside. The player sits in the
center of the frame and uses
both hands to strike the drums,
producing a melody. The drums are
Kyi Waing (left), Maung Hsaing (right)
The kyi waing
comprises a series of
gongs arranged in a
circular frame, and
the maung hsaing of
The brass cymbals "si"(left), which sometimes get replaced by the bigger "yakwin", are
held in the right
hand of the vocalist.

In his/her left hand she/he holds the wooden "wa" which appear in the shape of
castagnets or a bamboo node slit open (right).

Both provide the basic patterns of a tune:

All accents are performed by the "wa" while the "si" gets used on weak or unaccented
notes. Each pattern is strictly linked to a melodical phrase or passage and often counts
up to 9 or 16 bars. Like in the Gamelan ensembles with the last gong, the final stroke of
the "wa" is getting delayed as much as possible.
maung hsaing (larger bronze gongs in a
rectangular frame)
THAILAND
Thailand Formerly known as Siam,
Thailand is known for being the sole
nation in Southeast Asia that has
never been ruled by a Western
power. It is for this reason that the
country is also called “Muang Thai,”
which means “Land of the Free.”
Formerly known as Siam,
Thailand is known for being
the sole nation in Southeast
Asia that has never been
ruled by a Western power. It is
for this reason that the
country is also called “Muang
Thai,” which means “Land of the
Free.” History and geography
Bangkok is the capital
and the most populous
city of Thailand. It is
known in Thai as Krung
Thep Maha Nakhon or
simply Krung Thep.
Ayutthaya
Ruins
 Its musical principles and elements are basically
derived from Chinese music, while its musical
instruments are inspired from the Indian and
Indonesian strings and gong-chimes. The Thais
combined and adapted these to their culture and
created their own unique music.
Music is theoretically based on the five-tone or
seven-tone scale system. It is not only confined to
the royal courts but is also used extensively in
dance, theatre, and in ceremonies.
Thai folk music consists of simple songs with
simple melodic lines. Its main focus in singing is the
articulation of the text rather than the style or
technique of execution.
Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Malaysia have
Songs of Thailand have inherently
poetic lyrics which allow a singer or
performer to easily define the melodic
lines. It provides the singer the
opportunity to improvise song text to
suit the given occasion. The
interpretation of a singer gives
meaning to the sacred and spiritual
essence of songs with free rhythm
while melodies may either be
interpreted or written in the high or low
Thailand has three primary instrumental
ensembles that are similar to the other
ensembles in Southeast Asia.
1. Piphat - It is a mid-sized orchestra that is
performed in either outdoor style with hard
mallets or indoor style with padded mallets.
This ensemble has different types but the
highly ornate one is traditionally associated
with funerals and cremation ceremonies.
Other versions of the piphat ensemble are
used to accompany specific forms of
traditional Thai drama such as the large
2. Khrueang Sai –It is an
orchestra that combines some
of the percussion and wind
instruments of the Piphat with
an expanded string section.
This group is primarily used for
indoor performances and for the
accompaniment of stick- puppet
3. Mahori –This ensemble is
traditionally played by women in
the courts of Central Thailand and
Cambodia. Because of this,
instruments for this ensemble are
historically smaller. However,
regular-sized instruments are
used today. A vocalist performing
with the Mahori is usually
Ranat is Thai xylophone. It has
21 or 22 wooden bars
suspended by cords over a
boat-shaped trough resonator,
and is played with two mallets.
It is used as a leading
instrument in
the piphat ensemble.
The Khong Wong Lek is a
gong circled used in Thai
classical music.
It has
18 tuned bossed gongs
The Taphon is a traditional
drum of Thailand. It is
barrel-shaped,
with two heads, and is
played by the hands and
fingers of
both hands.
 Klong That is a
drum that provides
rhythm in Piphat
Ensemble.
The Ching are small bowl-
shaped finger cymbals of
thick and heavy bronze,
with a broad rim commonly
used in Cambodia and
Thailand.
 The Thon, a small goblet
drum is also used in Thai
traditional music.
The drum is made of
lathe-spun wood which is
covered with
goat skin.
SINGAPORE
Republic of Singapore.
Singapore’s cultural life reflects its
colonization by the British
Empire and its diverse
population. Being the
melting pot of different
cultures in Asia, folk
music of this country
reflects the culture and
The ethnic groups which made
a prominent place in the
musical world of Singapore
have been Chinese, Indian
Malays, and Tamils. Other
minority Asian ethnic groups
which have also made a mark
in the folk culture of Singapore
are the Cantonese, Hokkien,
Through the years, the music
industry in
Singapore grew having Western-
influenced performances by the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
as well as ethnic music
performances mainly by the
Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
Other performing groups with
Malay and Indian influence are still
LAOS
Laos,-officially the Lao People's Democratic
Republic, is a landlocked country in
Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and
People's Republic of China to the
northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia
to the south, and Thailand to the west. Its
population was estimated to be around 6.5
million in 2012.
This country is an
independent state of Southeast
Asia and officially known as Lao
People’s Democratic Republic. It is
formerly part of the Indochinese
Union, also known as French
Indochina. Wat Pha That
Luang, Vientiane is one of its
Pha That Luang (Lao for "Great Stupa") is a gold-
covered Buddhist stupa in Ventiane, Laos. The
Lao people say it was originally built as a Hindu
temple in the 3rd century.
Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park) near
Vientiane, Laos
The classical music
and dance of Laos is
highly influences by
India, Cambodia, and
Thailand. Themes are
drawn from Hindu
mythology,the Buddhist
The royal entourage of Lao kings traditionally
included musicians, and a typical orchestra
improvised songs with sets of tuned gongs,
xylophones, a bamboo flute, and other wind
instruments. The Lao orchestra can be divided
into two categories:
[Link] Nyai - This is similar to the Piphat of
Thailand with instruments that are strictly
percussive but also integrates the use of an
oboe.
[Link] Noi –This is also known as the Mahori of
Thailand. However, it incorporates the use of
Traditional music, called Mor
lam, is largely based
around the khene.
VIETNAM
Vietnam - officially
the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam is officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
This country is located on the eastern coast of the Indochinese
Peninsula.
Vietnamese music (nhạc Việt Nam) refers to the ethnic music that
originated
from the "Kinh" people of Vietnam. This term is also used to
address the music of any of the numerous ethnic minorities
including the Montagnard, Degar, Tay, Cham, and others.
Although Vietnam is geographically part of Southeast Asia, ten
centuries of rule by the Chinese to the north have made the
culture much closer to Far East than to its Southeast Asian
neighbors. Thus, early music theory was either based upon or
adapted to the prevailing Chinese theory, and the majority of
instruments used in the royal court were of Chinese origin.
On the other hand, other influences can be seen with the ethnic
minorities, such as the Chàm or Montagnard peoples. This is
possibly due to interaction with the other countries of Southeast
Asia. Vietnamese music shows signs of Indian influences,
Hanoi -
is the
capit
al of
Vietnam
and the
country'
Hanoi- Capital
Cit
y
Thien Mu Pagoda
Hue
Monument
Halong Bay
Cao Dai Temple
This temple was
founded in the year
1920 and since then
has become one of the
most important
historical places in the
country. The temple is a
fusion of the teachings
from different religions,
including
Confucianism, Islam,
Taoism, Christianity
and Buddhism and this
particular religion now
enjoys over 3 million
Traditional and Folk Music
Vietnamese traditional
music can be separated
into a few major
categories, divided
predominantly by the way
in which were used in the
Categories of Vietnamese Music:
1. Imperial court music –The most
popular of this kind is the Nha nhac
that was popularly performed during
the Tran Dynasty to the Nguyen
Dynasty. This form of classical music is
also performed in honour of the gods
and scholars in temples. Other
classical music falling into this
category include the Dai Nhac (“great
music”) and the Tieu Nhac (“small music”)
2. Folk music - This category is extremely
diverse because it includes music performed
both indoors and outdoors. Performers of this
category are also diverse. They may be
professional musicians down to the blind artists
in the streets who perform to earn their living.
Vietnamese folk music are performed in
different occasions depending on its sub-
category. It may be performed in musical
theaters, streets, courtship rituals, and
ceremonies for invoking spirits. They are
sometimes also influenced by Western
elements. Some Vietnamese music only makes
use of female singers and some have both
3. Religious and
Ceremonial music –
This is music
performed in religious
rituals or at funerals.
Identify the capital of the
following Southeast Asian
countries.
1. Cambo [Link]
dia ore
2. Laos 7.
3. Myanm Malaysia
ar
4. Thailan
Find out the
country of
origin of the
following
landmarks.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Name the
following
instruments