What is Dan gao?

What is a Dan Gao

Dan Gao likewise Dan Nhi, Dan Ho, Dan Day, Dan Bau, Chuong, Senh Tien and many other are traditional Vietnamese musical instruments. In the article I will attempt to focus on possibly every important detail and feature of Dan Gao instrument so that to give an idea what makes Dan Gao different from other musical instruments. Also, where needed, I will compare some of Dan Gao’s basic features with other musical instruments. However in order to get a deeper understanding of this instrument and its philosophy, an inquisitive reader would need to have a closer look at other traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, as well as the culture and history of Vietnam. Although I say that Dan Gao is traditional Vietnamese musical instrument (and it is right to some extent), however it, likewise Vietnamese culture on the whole, were exposed to Chinese profound influence.

In fact there are different categories of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments. Here mainly belong: bowed strings, plucked strings, percussion, and winds. Dan Gao belongs to the group of bowed string musical instruments. Unlike other string instruments (for example guitar), bowed string instruments produce music by means of string vibrations extracted by skillful manipulation of a bow over the strings. To give a better understanding of what it is let me mention the bowed string instruments that are well familiar to European and American public, here belong: violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

Other traditional Vietnamese bowed string instrument is Dan Nhi (also known as Dan Co). Both Dan Gao and Dan Nhi are fiddle type musical instruments. Also these musical instruments belong to one category there is a number of difference in their construction, features, and the sounding range.

Nan Nhi is a bit smaller than the Dan Gao. The sound (resonance) body of Dan Gao – unlike with the violin, the guitar, etc. – has no hole, but it has a bridge for the strings. The both musical instruments have two strings – normally made of braided silk. Traditionally the resonance body of Dan Gao is made of a coconut. Both instruments have quite a long neck and several pegs for adjusting the strings. Holding positions of the both traditional Vietnamese instruments is the same. The sweetness of sonority of Dan Gao may resemble that of cello. To conclude, Dan Gao consists of the following main parts: coconut shell body, wooden soundboard, soft bag, and a bow. In some features it reminds of such musical instruments as Chinese Yeqin, Er Hu, or Thai Saw-U. The body of Dan Nhi greatly differs form that of Dan Gao. It consists of a wooden pipe bowl-like sound body, handle, fretless. Its sound body is covered by a membrane made of a snake skin. This musical instrument is rich in sounding tone and range.

Dan Nguyet is likewise one of important Vietnamese instruments. It also has two strings and resembles Dan Gao in shape. The main difference is the sound body which in the case of Dan Nguyet is made of a round piece of unvarnished soft wood. It is used for ethnic and classic music. Dan Nguyet means a “moon lute”. So now you know basically all about what is a Dan Gao and other instruments of the bowed string group.