Vietnamese Traditional Musical Instrument - Small Size Song Loan (Song Lang) Percussion

A song loan (or song lang or song lan) is a percussion instrument (idiophone) used in Vietnamese traditional music. It is put on the ground and can be played by using the foot to force the ball to beat the body of the instrument.

The song loan is mostly used to keep the beat in Vietnamese traditional chamber music such as ca Hue, and theatrical music such as nhac tai tu and cai luong. A small percussion instrument made of hard wood, with a flat round shape and an iron handle. Song Loan has the smallest size among other musical instruments, with a round piece of wood less than the mouth of a cup, with a deep cut about 1/3 into the body to release sound.

About the Instrument

Hello, Today I introduce to you the traditional Vietnamese/Kinh musical instrument "TO" (Song Loan/Song Lang). Song Loan, or Song Lang, is a unique percussion instrument with a distinctive sound characteristic of the Vietnamese/Kinh people. As a small percussion instrument made of hard wood with a flat round shape, Song Loan/Song Lang is the smallest among other musical instruments. It is a round piece of wood with a deep cut about 1/3 into the body to release sound. It has a horn or steel rod with high elasticity for striking, and a small piece of wood attached to the top to create a steady "Clop! Clop!" sound.

Role in Music

Song Loan/Song Lang is traditionally used to maintain rhythm in ensemble performances. Since the emergence of traditional Vietnamese music, Song Loan/Song Lang has played a fundamental role in traditional orchestras and cai luong (a form of Vietnamese modern folk opera). While it is an important musical instrument, it is not fixed to a specific musician. Any musician can use it, but they must be capable of leading the orchestra, meaning they must be the conductor.

The sound of Song Loan/Song Lang has a very high frequency with a wide resonating range, making it audible without the need for amplification systems. Its frequency is estimated by a physicist to be above 3,000 MHz.

Usage and History

When using Song Loan/Song Lang, one can strike the wooden part with hands or feet, creating a distinctive sound. It is used to keep the rhythm in Southern Vietnamese traditional music, cai luong orchestras, and Hue singing. In orchestras and cai luong, Song Loan/Song Lang takes a leading role, providing a framework for other instruments and maintaining its own rhythm during ensemble performances.

Before 1975, the musician holding Song Loan/Song Lang was usually the master of the Nguyet (moon-shaped lute). Since 1975, we often see the main musician (conductor) using a concave fret guitar as the one holding Song Loan/Song Lang. However, in some places, it is still held by musicians using the Nguyet. All musicians in the orchestra must follow the signals of the conductor's Song Loan/Song Lang to maintain the structure and rhythm, as well as receive cues before concluding a melody in a performance.

Note: In the world, there is a similar percussion instrument called Castanets in the Spanish culture.