PI00004597

The hne or oboe- like wind instrument occupies a critical position in the Myanmar music troupe. It belongs to the group of wind instruments and can cover the chromatic scale. It is found portrayed on the wooden door of the northern building on the platform of Bagan's Shwezigon Zedi. There are two kinds of hne, the big and the small. The hne consists of five parts: 1. Reed which is made of the leaf from the toddy palm; 2. Mouth piece made of gold, silver, brass, bronze or steel 3. Tube or body of wood from padauk, yindaik, pyinkado, teak 4. Horn 5. "dano" or "cheek- guard" made of metal which encircles the upper moulding of the body; it guards the cheek which swells when blowing. The big hne is an essential instrument which is played pleasantly occasions such as the ploughing ceremony or royal regatta when it accompanies the big drum, the bjo, sidaw, boating song, yeginthan theme. The big hne plays mournfully on inauspicious occasions when lamentation is called for. It accompanies the braintaung (egret wing) theme. In earlier days the big hne was accompanied by two short drums and one vertical drum when propitiating the nats (spirits) with bpunza (drum food). The small hne is played briskly to accompany the pot-drum and dobat. Currently used is the hne which produces C sharp note when four holes are closed. The tones produced by the hne are; 1. one hole closed for the fifth degree 2. two hole closed for the sixth degree 3. three hole closed for the seventh degree 4. four hole closed for fundamental C 5. five hole closed for the second degree 6. six hole closed for the third degree 7. seven hole closed for the fourth degree When all holes are open the tone produced is of the fourth degree.

PI00004602

The cymbal (la gwin:) is a circular, slightly concave bress instrument usually used in pairs which are struck together to produce a crashing, ringing sound. The larger cymbals accompany the big drum (pa' ma), the middling size is played with the horizontal drum (sa khun) and the smaller size in pot- drum or dobat troupes. The cymbals are played in grand drum ensembles, anyein ensembles, instrumental ensembles and to provide music for nat festivals.During the Bagan period, the cymbal was called khwe' khwin: according to various lithic inscriptions. The two cymbals are clashed against each other to produce the full sound, or its edges are hit against each other to produce a soft sound. When the sound of clashing cymbals are not interfered with the sound produced is called open. When the sound is dampened, it is "closed". The muffling is done by putting the cymbals to the chest and thereby killing the sound.

PI00004608

Padauk wood is mostly used to make Ou:zi or pot-drum. But, the most proper wood for making Ou:zi is Pon-yi-taung-sawood that is the big tree. The leather of Ou:zi is mainly made of tough cow-hide.The Ou:zi drum-headed of Myanmar ethnic groups are made of youngox-hide and buffalo skin which is tightly stretched over the round frame of Ou:zi. Ou:zi looks like aclay toy of pitcher or a small pot (round pot that was a toy for children),the middle portion is(waisted) shaped to fit round the waist, (with the neck in the middle) and the other side is the folding lip on the head. The wood have to be made a hollow like the following picture, and the leather is stretched on the head. It has to be played by sticking the tuning dough (Pat-sa) to its drum-head. The upper part of Ou:zi is called "Ohn" or "Ou:-lone" in Myanmar. It is tightly stretched with the leather by tightening with cord.