Music

During the Ayutthaya period the instrumental ensemble was composed of four to eight musicians. Songs became much longer and singing technique was improved. Many Ayutthaya songs were composed in a form of musical suite called Phleng Rua, which was a series of songs. Poets contributed lyrics in the form of short stories, mostly from the Ramakian. Many Ayutthaya songs are still employed in Thai plays today.

In the beginning of the Bangkok period, after a long period of war, there was a remarkable revival of Thai arts, especially music and drama. The size of the instrumental ensemble was enlarged to 12 musicians and several masterpieces of Thai literature were produced as theatrical performances accompanied by music. Beautiful lyrics written by contemporary poets were fitted into melodies of the Ayutthaya period.

All Thai musicians in the past received their training from their teachers, through constant playing and singing in their presence. With nothing else to rely upon except their own memory, it was only through much hard work that they gained their technical experience and practical knowledge in playing and singing.

Later when Thailand began to have contact with Western European nations and the United States, the Thais adopted such Wenstern instruments as the bass drum, the violin, and the organ.

To save the national music from extinction, modern Thai musicians are trying to devise a system in which this traditional music can be rendered into Western notation and later edited. According to a book writen by Sir Hubert Perry, entitled “Evolution of the Art of Music”;

“The Thai scale system is extraordinary. It is not now pentatonic, though supposed to be derived originally from the javanese system. The scale consists of seven notes which should by right be exactly equidistant from one another; that is, each step is a little less than a semitone and three-quarters. So that they have neither a perfect fourth nor a true fifth in their system, and both their thirds and sixths are between major and minor; and not a single note between a starting note and its octave agrees with any of the notes of the European scale. Their sense of the right relations of the notes of the scale are so highly developed that their musicians can tell by ear directly a note which is not true to their singular theory. Moreover, with this scale, they have developed a kind of musical art in the highest degree complicated and extensive.”

In all, there are about 50 types of Thai musical instruments, including many local versions of flutes, stringed instrument, and gongs used for all kinds of occasions; festivals, folk theater, marriages, funerals, and social evenings after harvesting.

The Western classical music tradition was introduced to Thailand before the turn of the century. Its development was nurtured by Phra Chen Duriyang, who had studied the stringed instruments and piano with his German father. Phra Chen established Thailand’s first orchestra in the Royal Entertainment Department and taught many young Thai musicians. By the late 1920’s other small orchestras had been established as part of the branches of th Thai armed services, and in 1934 Phra Chen’s orchestra was transferred to and became the nucleus of the Fine Arts Department. Thai musicians have showned marked improvement in style and technique over the years and they have taught a new generation of musicians. Following a drive spearheaded by the musicians, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra was established in July 1982 and gave its first public concert in November of that year.

Popular Western music, introduced in the 1950’s, was also widely accepted by the Thai people and today there are a large number of modern groups, some producing music that combines elements of both pop and traditional Thai.

Music plays an important part in the life of the Thai royal family. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is an internationally-recognized jass musician whit numerous original compositions to his credit, one of which was featured in a Broadway show in the 1950’s. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is an accomplished performer on several classical Thai musical instruments, while Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn has made several popular music cassette tapes to raise funds for charity.