PHLENG PLAY: VERSIFICATION PROSODY, MEANING, MELODY AND SOCIAL REFLECTION OF PATONG, PHUKET

Abstract

This academic article was to argue for the folk song, Pleang Play, which is a uniqueness to Patong subdistrict in Phuket. The purpose of the study were to analyze the prosody, word using, and meaning of the lyrical texts. Additionally, the article examined melodic analysis in music study, including modifying melody based on the local dialect. Both musicological and ethnomusicological methods were employed in this study. The result revealed that local prosody was used in the creation of Pleang Play, and words were formed flexibly. In the Social reflections uncovered 8 cultural implications, including 1) Way of living, 2) Moral conceptions of duty, 3) Marrying off daughters to decent men, 4) Desserts used in Buddhist traditions, 5) Future inspiration instilled, 6) Places in Southern Thailand, 7) Family life and 8) Idioms for teaching women. Furthermore, the singing techniques relied on the local dialect especially for tone and melody. The three distinct sounds – note Mi, Sol and La – that made up the tonic points (main sounds) of the song, were what hung on the tone marks (Wannayuk). Consequently, from a sociological perspective, Pleang Play has effectively depicted the significant shift in Patong’s social milieu from an agrarian to an industrialised tourism society.