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A research project in the Vietnamese folk arts heritage
Mekong NYC hosts a music class to teach students how to play the đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither). The class is infused with storytelling, especially Vietnamese folk tales and culture, community building through group playing and listening, and group theory, examining traditional Vietnamese and Cambodian songs and pop music.

Lesson: Exercise-1
for Vietnamese 16-string zither
by Teacher Phan Gia Anh-Thư & Teacher Ngô Thanh Nhàn
Dec 04, 2024 13:11:39
T01_Exercise-1
1 – Exercise-1
Exercise-1 • dan-tranh-tablature •

Tablature to Click and Print:
T H E   S T O R Y:
Octave: An octave on the piano has 12 black and white keys. An octave on a đàn tranh has 5 strings, constituting a pentatonic scale.
From E3 to E4 is an octave. That is, E4 is an octave higher than E3.

Phrase #1 and #3 are played with the index finger. Phrase #2 and #4 are played with the thumb. Phrase #5 is played mixed index and thumb picks.

One should play with a rest stroke: glide on one string and rest on the next.

Note the Á glissando technique, one may try to start from one end, and stop at any string of choice.


\nĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1Yes We Can Music, LLC • Pentatonic Scale and StringsA VIETNAMESE FOLK MUSIC STUDY • Ngô Thanh Nhàn • Dec 04, 2024MusicXML source: — MuseScore 3.6.11–E32–G33–A34–C45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D511–E512–G513–A514–C615–D616–E617–G61234567891011121314151617TablatureĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1 • Part #P1 • Phrase #112345678910111213141516171–E32–G33–A34–C45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D511–E512–G513–A514–C615–D616–E617–G61716151413121110987654321TablatureĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1 • Part #P1 • Phrase #217161514131211109876543211–E32–G33–A34–C45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D51234567TablatureĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1 • Part #P1 • Phrase #3123423453456456756786789789109–C510–D511–E512–G513–A514–C615–D616–E617–G617161514161514131514131214131211131211101211109TablatureĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1 • Part #P1 • Phrase #4171615141615141315141312141312111312111012111091–E32–G33–A34–C45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D511–E512–G513–A514–C615–D616–E617–G61172161234TablatureĐàn Tranh: Exercise #1 • Part #P1 • Phrase #5123417161514234516151413117177/////1/////2/////3/////4 Circle of FifthsRange: E3 G3 A3 C4 D4 E4 G4 A4 C5 D5 E5 G5 A5 C6 D6 E6 G6 \n\nA\nA\nA\n\nE\nE\nE\nE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nC\nC\nC\n\nG\nG\nG\nG\n\nD\nD\nDPitch Classes: 0,1,2,3,4Circle of Chromatics\n\n\nE\nE\nE\nE\n\n\n\nG\nG\nG\nG\n\n\nA\nA\nA\n\n\n\nC\nC\nC\n\n\nD\nD\nDPitch Classes: 4,7,9,0,2