Music Theory
Music Theory of Thailand is similar to the Music of the surrounding countries, such as India and China. There are different parts of it, that make up the entire music theory. Some of them are Ragas and Tala's
Raga: Simply, a Raga is a series of 5 or more musical notes that makes up a melody. If a Raga has 5 notes, it is called a audava, 6 notes is called a sadava, and if it has all 7 notes, it is called a sampurna raga. Ragas are associated with different times of the day, as well as seasons. The Ragas are the scales of the Eastern Asian music theory.
Tala: Literally means clap. A Tala is the rythem and rythmic pattern that is used in music. Talas have no fixed tempos, so they can be played at any speed you like. There are 5 main types of Talas. They are different amount of hits on the drum in a single beat. They are the Chauka, which is one stroke, the
Raga: Simply, a Raga is a series of 5 or more musical notes that makes up a melody. If a Raga has 5 notes, it is called a audava, 6 notes is called a sadava, and if it has all 7 notes, it is called a sampurna raga. Ragas are associated with different times of the day, as well as seasons. The Ragas are the scales of the Eastern Asian music theory.
Tala: Literally means clap. A Tala is the rythem and rythmic pattern that is used in music. Talas have no fixed tempos, so they can be played at any speed you like. There are 5 main types of Talas. They are different amount of hits on the drum in a single beat. They are the Chauka, which is one stroke, the
Composers and Musicians
Luang Pradit Phairoh (Sorn SilapaBanleng)
Luang Pradit Phairoh was a famous Ranat Ek player. He was born in the late 1870's/Early 1880's. Luang was known for his skill on the Ranat Ek and was wanted by many different music groups. Luang was chosen to be a musician in a Noble's palace and there he got even more training on the Ranat Ek. Luang Pradit Phairoh died in the 1940's, and in 2004 The Overture, a movie about his life came out in Thailand.
Prasidh SilapanBanleng
The son of Sorn Silapabanleng, Prasidh was born in 1912. His father taught him music from a young age, which inspired him to search for greatness. Prasidh went to study music in Japan, where he studied composition and conducting. After university, Prasidh continued studying and working with music, and by 1955 he had composed his first symphony. Another of his famous works he wrote when he was 77, the Siang Tian, which is a symphonic poem. This symphony was a mixture of both Thai music, and Western music. Prasidh silapanbanleng passed away on September 4, 1999 due to heart failure.