A Study of Musical Characteristics and Music Forms of the Lahu Ethnic Group in Tanoh Maeroh Subdistrict, Betong District, Yala Province การศึกษาสังคีตลักษณ์ทางดนตรีของกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์ลาหู่ ตำบลตาเนาะเเมเราะ อำเภอเบตง จังหวัดยะลา

Abstract

This article aims to examine the musical forms and characteristics of the Lahu ethnic group in Tano Mae Ro Subdistrict, Betong District, Yala Province, through an analysis of three musical pieces: “Bon Ui ha G'ui Sha o” (ritual music), “Dance Song” (celebratory music), and “Tomorrow Song” (everyday-life music). The study employed Ethnomusicological Analysis Theory and Musical Structural Analysis Theory as its research frameworks. The findings reveal that the musical components including scale, structure, range, rhythm, and instrumentation, particularly the Taw Sue Koi play a crucial role in shaping Lahu music. The ritual song features a pitch range from G4 to D6, a tempo of 80 BPM, and an A–B–A structure. The celebratory song spans E3 to B4, with a tempo of 120 BPM and an A–A–B–A structure. The everyday-life song has a pitch range of C3 to C4, a tempo of 75 BPM, and a through-composed structure. All three pieces employ the pentatonic scale (C–D–E–G–A). The Taw Sue Koi, a traditional stringed three-instrument, serves as the primary melodic source in Lahu music. Each of its strings reflects cultural values: the E5 string “Mei” (female), the G4 string “Mang” (equality), and the C4 string “Ju/Ja” (male). Its tuning aligns with the pentatonic scale to facilitate melodic creation. Lahu music plays a vital role in fostering community cohesion and preserving cultural identity through the concept of “bounded flexibility.” This includes fixed boundaries such as the pentatonic scale, traditional instruments, and ritual purposes as well as flexible boundaries, including performance duration, venue, and musical structure. “Bon Ui ha G'ui Sha o” integrates the Taw Sue Koi with modern instruments like keyboard and guitar, whereas the celebratory and everyday-life songs rely primarily on traditional instrumentation. Each piece demonstrates a unique form of musical blending: the ritual song merges Taw Sue Koi melodies with modern harmony; the celebratory song incorporates structural features influenced by Southern Thai music; and the everyday-life song maintains a pentatonic melodic contour through its through-composed organization. With the Taw Sue Koi at its core, Lahu music sustains cultural identity through a balanced interplay between “tradition” and “adaptation,” enabling the music to function as a stable medium linking cultural continuity and change.