Dan bau: The voice of Vietnam

So what is the dan Bau?

The dan bau is a monochord instrument, a monochord is a class-

name given to one stringed instruments. The direct translation of
monochord is one string in Greek.

It is one of the two instruments of pure Vietnamese origin. The dan bau
is played solo, in the form of country music, it is used to accompany
poetry recitals, musicals and operas.

In order to create sound, it uses tension and overtones to create

different frequencies.

The Dan Bau generally consists of 4 components including the

soundboard (resonator), spout (Wammy bar), gourd, string and tuning
peg. These components are very essential in giving the dan bau its
unique and beautiful sound.

History of the Dan Bau

The dan bau is believed to have been made in 1770. This is when it
was first recorded to be used.

However, many scholars believe it dates back 1000 years before that

There are so many beautiful legends and stories that try to explain the
origins of the Dan bau, and for that reason, I think thats what makes
the dan bau so sentimental, it is remembered and engrained into the
Vietnamese culture and beliefs.

One legend is that, a blind woman was believed to have been the first
to play the instrument. She would play at the market to earn a living
because her husband was at war.

Whether this is true or not, it has been historically proven that the dan
bau is played by blind people. Even today, you can find blind
musicians playing the dan bau in the streets of Vietnam.

Some Vietnamese parents believe that their daughters should not

listen to the dan bau, because the captivating sounds of the love songs
played on the dan bau would charm and woo their daughters to the
men playing them.
Parts of the Dan Bau

To understand how the Dan Bau produces sound, it is important to know the
function of the components of the instrument.

The spout: a piece that is attached to the soundboard, usually made of

bamboo or buffalo horn. It is flat and gradually bends at the top. The spout
plays an important role in producing sounds of different pitches .

The string runs along the body of instrument and is perpendicular to the
bamboo rod . Most strings today are made out of iron, instead of the
traditional silk string.

The gourd is made up slender-necked gourd or coconut cut in half. The gourd
covers the spout at the point where the string is hung. The gourd helps
increase the loudness of sound for the instrument. However, today, the gourd
is made out of wood and used for decorative purposes only. (resonator)

The tuning peg is made from bamboo or wood. It can be found inside the
frame towards the bottom of the soundboard. The string goes through a small
hole at the end of the instrument's surface and then gets through the tuning
peg. In front of the hole is a bridge to support the string.

The sound and how it is played:

The instrument is tuned to one octave below middle C, 131 Hz .

The Dan Bau is always played with a wooden pick held in the right hand to
pluck the string, this creates an overtone. The lower side of the right hand
stops the string at the appropriate node (Harmonic).

The left hands function is to move the spout .

The pitch can bend downward by moving the spout in the direction of the
instrument, or upward by pushing the spout away from the dan bau. The
spout causes the tension of the string to vary, thus causing the pitch to rise
or fall.

These hands movements must be very gentile. Pushing the spout too hard
could cause dissonance in the sound.

The precision in how this technique is done is crucial to the consonance of the
instrument. The player must always pluck and then immediately place a
block point on the string to create the resonance.

The left hand also produces a variety of glissandos, grace notes and vibratos.
Glissandos are glides from one pitch to another. Vibratos are regular,
pulsating change of pitch, while grace notes are like extra notes added to
embellish the harmony.
These techniques are what makes the sound of the dan bau so unique and
beautiful. It is, soft, smooth yet varying, it adds expression and emotion into
the song, and to some, is even reminiscent of the voice of Vietnamese
singing

Steve is going to now explain more in depth, the specific frequencies of the
dan bau.

Frequency:

The Dan Bau uses the first seven overtones as notes. In the video we
will watch, the player uses the octave, the perfect fifth, the perfect
fourth, the just major third, the just minor third, the septimal minor
third, and the septimal whole third. To play the octave, the player
must pluck the string but his pinky finger must then rest lightly on the
used node to create an overtone. The player would then use the thumb
and the index finger to pluck the string, creating an overtone. The
overtones are created depending on where the player plucks the string
and rests his/her pinky finger. For example, the first octave is played
when the player makes the overtone at the middle of the string. The
1st overtone is when the player makes an overtone 2/3 (perfect fifth)
of the string up towards the pitch adjuster. The 2nd overtone is when
the player makes an overtone 4/5 of the string toward the pitch
adjuster. It goes on to 5/6, 6/7 then and then 7/8 up the string to make
the highest overtone (and frequency).

As Diana explained earlier, pushing the spout too hard could cause
dissonance in the sound; therefore, an artist must be very gentle when
adjusting the pitch this way. In physics terms, the player is adjusting
the tension in the string by moving the spout toward and away from
the string. As the player moves the rod away from the string, the
tension increases and henceforth, the pitch increases and so does the
frequency.

In terms of resonance

As we saw in the diagram, the resonator connected to the string and

the pitch adjuster on the end of the instrument. Its purpose is to
resonate sound; adding quality and loudness when the instrument is
played. Traditionally, a half-coconut shell or gourd is used as the
resonator, acting like an air column. The string; connected to the air
column, causes the air to vibrate with the same harmonic and this
causes the sound to resonate, thus the volume of the instrument
increases. This increases the quality of the music being played.

The vibrations produced by the dan bau eventually travel to the

listeners ears through longitudinal compressions and vibrate the
eardrum. These vibrations are then interpreted as electric signals for
the mind to enjoy. The high consonance of the instrument pleasures
the mind and is said to touch the heart. This made the Dan Bau an
ideal Vietnamese folk instrument for centuries and it is still used to
entertain the Vietnamese public today.