saung

• Name — Saung • Background — string • Classification — String instrument (plucked) • Hornbostel Sachs — 322 • 322.1 Open harps – The harp has no pillar. • 322.11 Arched harps. • Hornbostel Sachs Desc — The plane of the strings lies perpendicular to the resonator's surface, the neck curves away from the resonator.

Saung (စောင်း) is the Burmese word for "harp," and is etymologically derived from the Persian word chang, which is the Persian arched harp. The Burmese arched harp is more precisely called saung gauk (စောင်းကောက်; arched harp), while another indigenous lyre is called byat saung (ဗျပ်စောင်း) or saungbya (စောင်းပြား; flat harp).

The Burmese harp is a very ancient instrument. Musical researchers theorize that the arched harp came to Burma from Mesopotamia by way of India. Mesopotamia has some of the oldest images of arched harps, including pictographs from circa 3000 B.C. The saung may have been introduced as early as 500 AD from southeastern India, based on archaeological evidence, namely in the form of Burmese temple reliefs that depict a long-necked harp very similar to depictions found in Bengal. The earliest archaeological evidence of the harp is at the Bawbawgyi Pagoda of the Sri Ksetra kingdom of the Pyu people, near present-day Pyay (Prome). At that site, there is a mid-600s sculptured relief depicting the arched harp with about five strings, appearing in a scene where musicians and a dancer are depicted. Contemporaneous Chinese chronicles from the same period cite Pyu musicians playing the arched harp. A Pyu embassy to China in 801–802 documents an orchestra containing an arched harp with 2 pegs. The harp has survived continuously since that time, and has been mentioned in many chronicles and texts. The current Burmese word for the harp, "saung", has been recorded in Bagan temples, as well as in pictorial representations. Burmese chronicles describe the presence of harps in ceremonial ensembles at medieval Pagan, and female harpists who performed for royals. They are also shown on surviving temple reliefs and mural paintings, including at Nagayon and Lawkahteikpan temples. The earliest song-poem texts in Burmese date to the early 14th century, although the music has not survived. It is conjectured that this song-poem was harp music since the text refers to the siege of Myinzaing, and "Myinzaing" is one of the classical tunings and musical forms in use today. By the Ava dynasty, the harp had taken the form of an incurved arch with 11 strings. The harp benefited from the cultural renaissance of the Konbaung era (1752–1885). When the Burmese king Hsinbyushin sacked Ayuthaya, he brought back with him many Siamese courtiers. The captured Siamese actors and musicians fueled new forms and experiments in harp music. The most significant innovator was the talented courtier Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa (1766–1853), who adapted repertoires of Siamese music into Burmese, adapted the Siamese Panji tales into Burmese Enaung-zat, composed harp music for it, and developed a whole new genre of harp music called "Yodaya" (the Burmese word for Ayutthaya), which is codified in the Mahāgīta corpus of Burmese classical music. U Sa was responsible for increasing the number of harp strings from seven to thirteen, such that the notes spanned two and a half octaves, from C3 to F5, and for establishing specifications, including improving the harp's tensile strength by using the curved root of the sha tree. The last Konbaung court harpist, Maung Maung Gyi, added the 14th string. Ba Than, a post-independence harpist, created a 16-string saung. After a period of decline before World War II, in 1947, Hmat Kyi, who descended from royal woodcarvers, created 7 harps for the State Schools of Fine Arts. In the 18th century the instrument was introduced to Qing dynasty China, becoming known as zonggaoji (总稿机, a transliteration of "saung-gauk"). The instrument was played at feasts of the Chinese imperial court starting in 1788 as part of tribute. • Illustration — Minye Aungdin nat is traditionally depicted playing the saung. • Illustration — A saung musician in 1900 • Illustration — 12th century A.D. sculpture from the Ananda Temple at Bagan, The women sing and play to the prince. From the left: harp, flute, singer, clapper. • Illustration — Relief of harpist playing the vina, Amaravati ca. 200 A.D. East coast of India. • Illustration — A 19th century Burmese watercolor depicting a saung musician • Illustration — An 1894 photo depicting a Burmese maiden with the saung

Until the 1800s, the Burmese harp and its music were used exclusively for chamber music within the royal court, where it held status as the most prized of the court instruments. Since then, it has become popular with the general population, but is still played only in more intimate chamber settings. The instrument was built under patronage from the Kingdom of Burma. After World War II, the State School of Fine Arts received newly made harps by Burmese craftsmen. The harp is usually accompanied by a singer, or more accurately, the singer is accompanied by the harp, with the harp adapting to the singer, who controls the time with a bell and clapper to indicate the music tempo. The principal playing techniques in Mandalay include let-kat (လက်ကပ်), kaw (ကော့), zon-hswe-gyin (စုံဆွဲခြင်း), and tat (တပ်). The Burmese classical music scale is tuned differently from the Western scale, and has been said to be derived from the descending cycle of fifths. The original tuning method extant from 1885 is called hnyin-lon, while musicians also use the auk-pyan, pale, and myin-zaing tuning methods. This is only approximately true, and traditionally, the harp is tuned differently for the four major different modes of Burmese classical music. Recently, due to the overriding influence of Western music, many harpists tune to the Western diatonic scale, since fewer and fewer singers feel fully comfortable with the traditional tunings. Burmese music has not been written down with notation, only the text of the songs are recorded, and the rendition of the music has been passed down through the generations from teacher to student. The last and most well known harpist of the court was U Maung Maung Gyi (1855–1933), who was given a post at King Mindon's court at the young age of thirteen, and given the title "Dewa-Einda" ('Heavenly Musician;' devaindā), which now identifies him. He trained many musicians who became accomplished musicians in their own right. The lineage of today's harpists can be traced directly back to the Dewa-Einda and other musicians from the court of Mandalay. With the British annexation and the fall of court of Mandalay, the Burmese court culture and traditions were still carried on for a while at the court of Saophas of Hsipaw, the Shan state closest to Mandalay culturally and geographically. The well-known harpists U Hpu Gyaung and Sao Mya Aye Kyi were from Hsipaw. • Illustration — A Burmese musician playing the saung • Illustration — Two female musicians play the saung at a performance in Mandalay. • Illustration — Burmese singer Wyne Lay playing the saung during a performance • Illustration — A Karen-style saung, called t'nah or na den • Illustration — Another instrument using saung in its name, a museum display of the byat saung or byauth caungg (ဗျပ်စောင်း), the Burmese lyre

• The Burmese Saung Sample – Sample song clip of Burmese saung

• The Burmese Saung Gauk – includes a picture, information, and a sample song • A Brief History of Saung – Saung History by Myanmar-Image • Harp History site • Burmese Harp – the post-1960s saùng-gauk at the University of Michigan Museum of Art

A boy playing a saung or Burmese harp.