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Sneng

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Sneng ស្នែង
A side-blown Cambodian musical instrument called a Sneng ស្នែង, made from a cow's horn, sits in front of an end-blown sneng, made from a water buffalo horn. The side-blown instrument's mouthpiece is visible on the side of the horn.
Other namessaamleng sneng
Classification side-blown: woodwind
end-blown: brass
Hornbostel–Sachs classificationside-blown: 422.33
end-blown: 423.121.21
(side-blown: horns with free reed
end-blown: labrosones with curved tubes without mouthpiece)
Related instruments
A side-blown sneng plays, demonstrating the multiple tones possible from the instrument. Side blown instruments may have two fingerholes, one on each end of the instrument. End-blown instruments have no fingerholes and only one note.

The sneng or snaeng (Khmer: ស្នែង, "horn") is an aerophone made from an ox horn or water buffalo horn. It is loud enough to call across a distance and has been used in rural environments to signal mealtimes, give warning, call for help or indicate a need to return to the village. It was also used to call domestic elephants in from the field, and hunters communicated with it.[1]

Two different types of sneng exist:

  • The more common one is a side-blown instrument with a rectangular hole on the side of the horn, where a bamboo single-free-reed mouthpiece is fastened with wax.[1][2] The reed there can be either blown or sucked to produce a tone.[1] Both ends of the horn are open and function as finger holes to change the pitch,[1] the pointed end covered by the left index finger and the wide end covered by the right palm.[2] This type is capable of two notes, tuned a fourth apart.[1]
  • Another type is an end-blown instrument with the tip of the horn cut off and without the bamboo mouthpiece, like the conventional blowing horn. It is less common because it produces only one note.[2]

See also

  • Abeng, a similar side-blown horn in Jamaica
  • Tơ đjếp, the Vietnamese version of the instrument

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sam-Ang, Sam (2008). "The Khmer People of Cambodia". In Miller, Terry E.; Williams, Sean (eds.). The Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music. New York, US: Taylor & Francis. p. 97. ISBN 9781135901547.
  2. ^ a b c Khean, Yun; Dorivan, Keo; Lina, Y; Lenna, Mao (2003). Traditional Musical Instruments of Cambodia (PDF) (2nd ed.). Kingdom of Cambodia: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. p. 134.
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