5.2 Thai and Burmese classical music traditions

Southeast Asian music is a vibrant tapestry of sounds and traditions. Thai and Burmese classical music share deep roots, influenced by Indian culture and shaped by royal courts. Both feature intricate melodies, complex rhythms, and unique instruments.

These traditions showcase the rich musical heritage of Southeast Asia. With modal systems, improvisation, and ornate performances, Thai and Burmese classical music exemplify the region's sophisticated musical traditions, connecting to broader themes in Southeast Asian music.

Thai vs Burmese Instruments and Ensembles

Shared Characteristics and Historical Connections

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• The classical music traditions of Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma) have similarities due to historical cultural exchange and geographic proximity
• Both traditions have been heavily influenced by contact with India through trade, Hinduism, and Buddhism, with Indian classical music concepts adapted to local aesthetics

Key Instruments in Thai Classical Music

• Thai classical music prominently features xylophones (ranat), gong circles (khong wong), flutes (khlui), fiddles (saw sam sai), zithers (chakhe), and drums (taphon)
• The ranat (xylophone) and khong wong (gong circle) often form the core of Thai classical ensembles
• Melodic instruments like flutes and fiddles play heterophonically over the ranat and khong wong, simultaneously varying the main melody

Key Instruments in Burmese Classical Music

• Burmese classical music prominently features drums (pat waing), gongs (kyi waing), xylophones (pattala), harps (saung), fiddles (tayaw), and oboes (hne)
• The pat waing (drum circle) and kyi waing (gong circle) often form the rhythmic foundation of Burmese classical ensembles
• Melodic instruments like harps, fiddles, and oboes play the main melody over the pat waing and kyi waing rhythmic patterns

Modes and Scales in Thai and Burmese Music

Thai Classical Modes

• Thai classical music uses seven primary modes, each associated with a particular mood or aesthetic, derived from Indian classical ragas
• The seven Thai modes are Bhairav, Khamaj, Hindol, Multani, Todi, Bilaskhani Todi, and Kalyan, each with a unique intervallic structure and tonic
• Melodies in Thai classical music often employ extensive ornamentation within the framework of these modes

Burmese Classical Modes (Thats)

• Burmese classical music uses a modal system called thats, derived from Indian classical music
• There are seven primary Burmese thats: Bhairav, Khamaj, Hindol, Multani, Todi, Bilaskhani Todi, and Yodaya
• Each Burmese that has a characteristic intervallic structure, tonic, and associated mood

Shared Scale Structure

• Both Thai and Burmese music use a seven-tone scale with five roughly equidistant scale degrees
• The seven-tone scale also includes two changing tones that vary based on the specific mode being used
• Melodic ornamentation is extensively employed in both traditions within the structure of the modes and scales

Improvisation and Ornamentation in Thai and Burmese Music

Role of Improvisation and Ornamentation

• Improvisation and ornamentation are central to Thai and Burmese classical music performances
• Improvisation allows musicians to display creativity and virtuosity within the melodic and rhythmic frameworks of the modes and forms
• Ornamentation techniques like grace notes, pitch bends, trills and fast runs are used to elaborate the melodies

Improvisation in Thai Classical Music

• In Thai music, melodic instruments engage in heterophonic improvisation, simultaneously varying the main melody
• Thai percussion instruments also improvise, with rhythmic patterns becoming more dense and complex over the course of a piece
• Rhythmic breaks called luk khong allow for virtuosic solo improvisations by the percussion section

Improvisation in Burmese Classical Music

• In Burmese music, the pat waing drum circle leads the ensemble, directing tempo and changes through improvised patterns
• Pat waing solos featuring complex improvisation are a highlight of Burmese classical performances
• Burmese melodic instruments engage in extensive ornamentation of the core melody, with expressive pitch slides, grace notes, and fast scalar runs

Structured Nature of Improvisation

• Improvisation in both Thai and Burmese music is not free, but governed by the mode, rhythmic cycle, and compositional form
• Musicians learn stock phrases and ornamentation techniques that they deploy in original ways in improvisation
• Improvisation is therefore a balance of spontaneous creativity and adherence to the tradition's aesthetic boundaries

Historical Contexts of Thai and Burmese Music

Court Patronage and Ritual Functions

• Thai and Burmese classical music traditions developed in the royal courts, used for religious ceremonies, court rituals, theater, and dance
• Court musicians in both traditions underwent extensive training to perform these complex repertoires
• In Thailand, the Ayutthaya period (14th-18th centuries) was a golden age of royal patronage for classical music and dance-drama
• In Burma, the Konbaung dynasty (18th-19th centuries) saw the codification of the Maha Gita classical tradition and development of instruments

Influence of Colonialism and Modernization

• Under British colonial rule in the 19th-20th centuries, Burmese court music declined but was kept alive by traditional performers
• In the 20th century, Thai classical music spread beyond the courts, promoted by cultural institutions like the Fine Arts Department
• After Burmese independence, the Fine Arts Department worked to revive and preserve Burmese classical music

Contemporary Contexts

• Today, Thai and Burmese classical music are performed in both ritual/ceremonial and concert contexts
• The traditions are taught in universities to ensure their preservation for future generations
• Musicians continue to innovate within the traditions, composing new works and experimenting with fusion and cross-cultural collaborations