Sralai
Encyclopedia
The sralai is a wind instrument used in the pinpeat
of Cambodia
. Its quadruple reed
is made of palm
leaf, and its body has a slightly conical bore. Its cousin, the Western oboe
, has a double reed
and a conical bore. The pinpeat instruments tune to the sralai's pitch, and the player must learn circular breathing
to play continuously without stopping for breath. The sralai is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Thai pi
.
Pinpeat
The pinpeat orchestra or musical ensemble performs the ceremonial music of the royal cours and temples of Cambodia. The orchestra consists of approximately nine or ten instruments, mainly wind and percussion . It accompanies court dances, masked plays, shadow plays, and religious ceremonies...
of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Its quadruple reed
Quadruple reed
A quadruple reed is a type of reed by means of which the sound is originated in various wind instruments. The term "quadruple reed" comes from the fact that there are four pieces of dried palm leaf vibrating against each other, in pairs...
is made of palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
leaf, and its body has a slightly conical bore. Its cousin, the Western oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, has a double reed
Double reed
A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. The term double reed comes from the fact that there are two pieces of cane vibrating against each other. A single reed consists of one piece of cane which vibrates against a mouthpiece made of metal, hardened...
and a conical bore. The pinpeat instruments tune to the sralai's pitch, and the player must learn circular breathing
Circular breathing
Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. This is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.It is used extensively in playing...
to play continuously without stopping for breath. The sralai is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Thai pi
Pi (instrument)
Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
.
External links
- Sralai "oboe" page from Cambodian with Dr. Sam-Ang Sam, Ethnomusicology OnLine