Scales of Khanh Son lithophone need to be standardized

The two sets of Khanh Son lithophone dating back over 3,000 years were given back to Khanh Hoa Province after 44 years. These lithophones were made a long time ago, so they have ancient scales, which are far different from the existing sets of lithophone. Is it advisable to standardize the typical scales of Khanh Son lithophone to apply to lithophone performances in music and art programs? 

Unique scales

Musician Luu Huu Phuoc (former director of the Institute of Music Research, chairman of Khanh Son Lithophone Science Council at that time) announced the research results on these two sets of Khanh Son lithophone at the ceremony to publicize these two sets on September 12, 1979. As said by Phuoc, the sounds of bars of rock of Khanh Son lithophone’s have all the attributes of a musical instrument. The bars of rock used to make Khanh Son lithophone have complex structures; therefore, they don’t always follow the rule of short bars for the treble, long bars for the bass. One out of the 12 bars of rock of the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone produces different pitch range. Whole bars of rock arranged in order of pitch from low to high produce a succession of notes and are used as a whole.
 

Musician Nguyen Phuong Dong testing the scales of the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone

From the initial researches on the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone, musician Luu Huu Phuoc, on behalf of the scientific council, made the first conclusions about the lithophone’s scales used in folk songs. The pitch range of the bars of rock is suitable for human vocal cords; the difference of pitch range between the two sets is almost an octave. The bars of rock were arranged to produce a fixed scale. With Khanh Son lithophone, musicians can play familiar folk songs of ethnic groups in the central highland region or compose new melodies and new songs bearing both the musical characteristics of the central highland region and modern elements.

New lithophones should be made according to the original 

In the ceremony to publicize the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone 44 years ago, artist Do Loc performed the work specifically written for Khanh Son lithophone of musician Lu Nhat Vu. Just over a year after the lithophone sets were discovered and publicized, 50 works were composed and staged for the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone. Most of the works were written for solos, duets, and trios accompanied by folk orchestra and dances.

According to PhD Dinh Van Hanh, head of Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts in Ho Chi Minh City, the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone are very musically valuable and date back thousands of years (about 3,000 - 4,000 years). They have unique sharp, resonant and melodious sound with clear high pitch. Khanh Son lithophone is a typical artifact associated with the culture of the ethnic minorities in Khanh Hoa’s mountainous areas.

Over the past years, quite many new sets of lithophone were made and used in music and arts activities of units and localities in the province. For example, Hai Dang Song and Dance Troupe has two sets; Hon Chong Clubhouse has one; communes, towns and Khanh Son District Center of Culture, Information and Sports have used 12 sets of lithophone. However, these lithophones were not made according to the scales of the two original sets of lithophone. The new ones have scales of the musical instruments of the central highland region so that they can be suitable for on-stage performances while the scales of Khanh Son lithophone are not the same or similar to any scales of the ethnic groups in the central highland region or other regions in the country. Unique scales are a distinctive attribute of Khanh Son lithphone.

Since the two sets of Khanh Son lithophone were returned to Khanh Hoa, the province’s cultural sector under the direction of the province’s leadership has carried out activities to introduce, promote and propose recognizing the lithophone as a national treasure. Standardizing the typical scales of Khanh Son lithophone can help to preserve and promote the values of this unique musical instrument.

Giang Dinh
Translated by H.N