|
Sralay |
||
| History and background of Court Dance |
Sralay, formerly called pi-shannai is a traditional Cambodian oboe having a quadruple-reed and a slightly bulging body. The sralay is also one of Cambodia's oldest reed instrument, there are carvings on the bas-reliefs at Angkor, of musicians playing the sralay. The sralay accompanies the pin-peat orchestra, funeral orchestras, boxing matches and other religious ceremonies or as a solo instrument. The body of the sralay are made from a variety of different material from hardwood and sometimes even ivory. The reed is made from the leaves of the sugar palm that grows all over Cambodia, called tonout (Borassus flabellisformis). The reed is then cut into four small tongues that are then fastened to the tube with thread.
The sralay is one of the most complicated reed instruments to play because, of the breathing control and production of the tone, also fingering techniques can be tricky and is hard to achieve. Like all Khmer wind instruments, the sralay is played without pausing therefore the melody line is unbroken while inhaling air through his nose. There are two kinds of sralay used in the pin-peat orchestra alone. Sralay toch (small sralay) that measures a length of 31 to 33 centimetres long and has a high-pitch. Sralay thom (large sralay) that varies in measurement from 40 to 42 centimetres and has a low-pitch. |
