Ha Noi

Voice

• Ca Trù Voice (Long, Broken) Vocal techniques in the Ca trù musical tradition. Ca trù is an ancient form of musical storytelling featuring a female vocalist, often accompanied by a Đàn đáy player, and involving the interaction of the spectator. Played by: Vu Thi Thủy Linh

Strings

• Đàn Tranh (Bend 1, Bend 2, Bend 3, Bend Up, Bend Down, Tremolo, Vibrato) The Đàn tranh is a plucked zither with a long soundbox and many strings (14-25). These kinds of bends are characteristic to the emotional quality of the instrument. Played by: My Chin
• Đàn Nhị (Straight, Straight Hard, Glissando) The Đàn nhị is a two-stringed bowed string instrument. The instrument’s small tubular body is often covered by snakeskin. This highly expressive instrument often carries the melodies of traditional Vietnamese music. Played by: Ngô Thái Sơn
• Electric Đàn Bầu (Straight, Vibrato, Bend Up) The Đàn bầu is a one-string zither and is essential to Vietnamese folk music, but also commonly employed in pop and rock. It is played by striking harmonics and bending them with a lever. Here it’s plugged into a megaphone amplifier. Played by: Ngô Tra My
• Đàn Đáy The Đàn đáy is a plucked 3-string lute with silk or nylon strings. It is commonly used as an accompanying instrument in Ca trù music. Played by: Pham Dinh Hoang

Percussion

• Trong Ban (Regular, Hand Hit, Flam) A large traditional hand drum played with a stick or hand. Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

• Chèo Drum (Regular, Bounce, Flam, Side) A small drum that serves as the rhythmic backbone for Chèo, a type of satirical musical folk theatre from northern Vietnam. Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

• Drum Set (Low, Mid, High, Double) Group of drums from a traditional Vietnamese drum set, precursor to the modern trap drum kit. Played by: Le Quỳnh Trang

Pitched Percussion

• T’rưng (High, Low, Muted) The T’rưng is a bamboo xylophone used by the Jarai and Bahnar ethnic groups in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Played by: Vu Thi Thủy Linh

Wind

• Sáo Mèo (Large Vibrato Fast, Large Vibrato Slow, Small Double Tongue 1, Small Double Tongue 2, Small Double Tongue 3) The Sáo Mèo is a bamboo free reed wind instrument used by the H’mong ethnic group of northern Vietnam. Often two larger and smaller (male and female) pipes are coupled together to facilitate a wider range and tonal contrast. Played by: Nguyen Hai An
• Sáo Bầu (Drone, Short, Straight) The Sáo Bầu is a free-reed wind instrument. It has a gourd wind chest with a center playing pipe and two outer drone pipes. Played by: Nguyen Hai An
• Tiêu (Double Tongue, Flutter, Overblown) The Tiêu is a large vertically played bamboo flute. Played by: Nguyen Hai An
• Sáo Trúc (Straight, Vibrato) The Sáo trúc is a small bamboo flute with six or ten fingerholes that is often called the ‘voice of Vietnam’. Played by: Nguyen Hai An

FX (Soundscapes original and effected)

• Hanoi Ambiences – Birds Urban wildlife recorded in central Hanoi with an LCR microphone array. Ran through an extensive chain of creative processing.

• Hanoi Ambiences – Fan Recording of an oscillating fan with an LCR microphone array.

• Hanoi Ambiences – Traffic Hanoi’s infamous traffic recorded with an LCR microphone array.

• Hanoi Ambiences – Light Rain Light summer rain captured in Hanoi’s old quarter with an LCR microphone array.

• Hanoi Ambiences – Med Rain The beginning of a monsoon recorded near the Temple of Literature in Hanoi with an LCR microphone array.

• Ninh Binh Ambiences – Heavy Rain A heavy rainstorm on a lotus field in Ninh Binh, a small city on the Red River, captured with an LCR microphone array.

• Ninh Binh Ambiences – Traffic Rain Rain and background traffic in Ninh Binh, a small city on the Red River, captured with an LCR microphone array.