Northeast Thailand and Laos

Thailand and Laos

Wood, bamboo, metal
Mid 20th century
Height: 37.5 in
Aerophones – Free Aerophones – Free Reeds

The khaen is a free-reed aerophone of Laos (called ‘khene‘) and northeast Thailand.  This khaen consists of two parallel straight rows of bamboo pipes (total 16) and is known as the khaen paet. There are four sizes that range from 12, 14, 16, and 18 pipes.  Each pipe has a cut reed with a copper-silver alloy drop on the end of the reed.  The pipes are mounted inside the carved wooden windchest called a tao (‘gourd’) and are caulked around the opening with an insect waste called khisut.

The pitch of the pipes is determined not by the length of the pipes, but the length of the internal nodes of the bamboo. The khaen is played by inhaling or exhaling air into the mouthpiece and covering the finger hole on the pipe for it to sound.

Resource: “Khaen,” Terry E. Miller, The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments,” 2nd ed., Lauarence Libin, Editor in Chief. Oxford University Press