Pinpeat

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The pinpeat orchestra or musical ensemble performs the ceremonial music of the former courts and temples of Cambodia. The orchestra consists of approximately nine or ten instruments, mainly wind and percussion (including several varieties of xylophone and drums), and accompanies court dances, masked plays, shadow plays, and religious ceremonies.

It is one of the most ancient Cambodian musical ensembles and is closely associated with the Angkor period.^{[citation needed]} In fact, its history is carved into the walls of Angkor Wat in the shapes of the instruments held by celestial dancers, such as the gong called kong and the small cymbals called chhing, both of which have been essential to the pinpeat ensemble for centuries.^{[citation needed]} The Pinpeat is very similar to the Thai Piphat.

[edit] Instruments used in pinpeat ensembles

This list presents instruments which are or have been used in various pinpeat ensembles.

roneat - xylophones
- roneat ek - the lead high-pitched bamboo xylophone
- roneat thung - a low-pitched xylophone
- roneat dek - a metal xylophone or metallophone
kong vong - gong circles
- kong vong thom - a 'large circle of gongs'
- kong vong toch - a 'small circle of gongs'
drums
- skor thom - two big drums (similar to taiko drums) played with drumsticks
- sampho(r) - a double-headed drum played with hands
sralai - a quadruple-reed
- sralai thom - a large quadruple-reed flute
- sralai toch - a small quadruple-reed flute
khloy - a type of bamboo flute (was used in place of the sralai in the past)
chhing (chhap) - finger cymbals
krap - wooden clappers (presently rarely used)