saung

saung
Name	saung
Classification	String instrument; arched harp
Developed	Ancient Burma (Myanmar)
Related	harp, arched harp, kora, arched lyre

saung

The saung is a traditional Burmese arched harp central to the classical and folk music of Bagan, Mandalay, Rangoon, and other regions of Myanmar. It functions as both solo and ensemble instrument within contexts such as royal court performances, Buddhist ceremonies, folk theatre, and modern conservatory practice. The instrument’s distinctive boat-shaped body, curved neck, and skin soundboard produce a resonant timbre that links it historically to other Asian and African harp traditions while remaining uniquely associated with Burmese cultural identity.

Etymology and Terminology

The modern Burmese term for the instrument derives from historical usage in inscriptions and chronicles tied to Pyu city-states, Pagan Kingdom, and later Konbaung dynasty records. Scholarly discussion compares the word with terms found in Pali and Sanskrit sources used at Ananda Temple and other religious sites in Bagan. In colonial-era texts produced under British Raj administrators and catalogues from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the instrument was often rendered with various romanizations that influenced early ethnomusicological writing. Ethnomusicologists working in the 20th century at institutions such as University of London and Columbia University standardized terminology in field recordings archived alongside collections from British Library and Smithsonian Institution.

History and Cultural Significance

Archaeological evidence and mural depictions in sites like Bagan Archaeological Zone and references in chronicles of the Ava Kingdom indicate that the instrument has been present in Burmese society since at least the first millennium CE. Royal patronage under dynasties including the Toungoo dynasty and Konbaung dynasty elevated the instrument’s use in court rituals at capitals such as Ava and Mandalay Palace. Missionary accounts and colonial ethnographies by figures associated with Imperial College London and the British Museum document transitions in repertoire and performance practice during encounters with Christian missionaries and colonial administrators. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, reformers connected with institutions like the National Theatre of Myanmar and conservatories modeled on École Normale de Musique de Paris and Royal Academy of Music worked to preserve and adapt the instrument for new concert contexts. The saung features prominently in iconography of patrons such as Thakin Kodaw Hmaing and artists like U Ba Than and is integral to ceremonial events tied to temples such as Shwedagon Pagoda.

Construction and Design

Traditional construction combines materials sourced from regions around Irrawaddy River and Shan State: a hollowed wooden soundbox carved from hardwoods used in royal workshops, a thin leather or fish-skin soundboard stretched across the body, and a delicately curved neck affixed with tuning pegs modeled on ancient prototypes found near Mandalay Hill. Ornamentation often includes lacquer techniques linked to artisans trained in guilds patronized by the Konbaung court and inlays resembling designs from Bagan bronzework. Luthiers working in workshops influenced by families recorded in archives at Yangon University and museums like the National Museum of Myanmar maintain traditional proportions while some modern makers incorporate synthetic strings and machine tuning pegs developed after contacts with instrument makers from Germany and Japan. Surviving royal saungs preserved at collections such as British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Museum, New Delhi illustrate historical variations in scale, string number, and decorative motif.

Playing Techniques and Tuning

Performance practice recorded by ethnomusicologists affiliated with SOAS University of London and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music emphasizes right-hand plucking patterns, left-hand damping and modulation, and a posture distinct from Western harp technique. Players traditionally use the thumb and first two fingers to articulate melodic lines while executing portamento and vibrato techniques suited to singing stylizations associated with repertoires from Mandalay and Inwa (Ava). Tuning systems historically align with modal frameworks documented in manuscripts preserved at Sangha offices and private collections of families connected to the Konbaung dynasty; contemporary performers sometimes adapt equal-tempered or just intonation influenced by exchanges with musicians from France, India, and Thailand.

Repertoire and Musical Role

The instrument’s repertoire spans courtly melodies, devotional laments performed in temple precincts such as Shwezigon Pagoda, accompaniment for classical vocal genres performed by artists trained at institutions like the National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon, and folk tunes from states such as Kachin State and Chin State. In ensemble contexts, the instrument complements hsaing waing and other Burmese ensembles, dialoguing with wind and percussion instruments historically used in royal orchestras overseen by court officials connected to the Konbaung court. Solo repertoire includes pieces transcribed by ethnomusicologists working with performers linked to maestros like U Sein Hlaing and scholars from SOAS and Cornell University who archived recordings for ethnographic study.

Notable Players and Makers

Prominent historical players include court musicians patronized by the Konbaung dynasty and later revivalists associated with the cultural movements around Mandalay and Yangon. Contemporary masters recorded in fieldwork of institutions such as SOAS University of London, Columbia University, and Smithsonian Folkways include performers and teachers who have trained students at the National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon and international artists who presented the instrument at festivals organized by entities like the Asian Arts Council and World Music Institute. Noted makers and workshop families with documented lineages appear in museum catalogues of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, and individual luthiers have collaborated with instrument-makers from Germany and Japan to create hybrid instruments for concert stages and recordings archived at Smithsonian Institution.

Category:Musical instruments of Myanmar