Đàn tranh

The đàn tranh (彈箏) is a plucked zither of Vietnam, which is similar to the Chinese guzheng , the Japanese koto, the Korean kayagum and the Mongolia Yatga. In northern Vietnam, the instrument is also known as the đàn thập lục. It has a long soundbox with the steel strings, movable bridges and tuning pegs positioned on its top.

The đàn tranh can be used either as a solo instrument, as part of various instrumental ensembles or to accompany vocal performances.

History

In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the đàn tranh had 14 strings. Between the late 15th and the 18th centuries, the number of strings of the đàn tranh increased to fifteen and the instruments was called thập ngũ huyền cầm. In the 19th centuries, the đàn tranh with 16 strings appeared and had become the standard version until the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Musicological studies in the late 20th century indicate that Southeast Asian bamboo tube zithers might be one of the ancestral prototypes of zithers such as đàn tranh, guzheng, koto, gayageum, and yatga.