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folk arts studies    F O L K · A R T S · S T U D I E S
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: Ly-Con-Sao-Mien-Bac_Melody
for Vietnamese 16-string zither
by Teacher Phan Gia Anh-Thư & Teacher Ngô Thanh Nhàn
Dec 04, 2024 13:43:05
m04_Ly-Con-Sao-Mien-Bac
1 – Ly-Con-Sao-Mien-Bac
Ly-Con-Sao-Mien-Bac • Melody • YWCM •

Tablature to Click and Print:
T H E   S T O R Y:
Lý Con Sáo Bắc [Song of the Starling]. A famous folk song of north Vietnam, based on two six-eight syllable couplet:
Ai đem con sáo sang sông
Để cho con sáo sổ lồng bay xa.
Who brought the starling across the river,
And allowed her to break the case and fly away.

The song describes women conditions in the countryside of Vietnam. Then, when she crossed the river, she was free (like a young black teenager Elizabeth Cotton thought of jumping on a train to be free when she wrote the song Freight train). Today, sang sông [crossing the river] means she gets married.

The song is written in the cung oán mourning pentatonic scale, G B C D E, but requires extensive bendings: all C's and G's are to be vibrated, all D's are tapped, and watch out for other prebending and released strings.
The symbols 𝅃    in Phrase #1 are for percussion, meaning tap on the bridge with your right hand index finger.


\nLý Con Sáo BắcFolk song from northern Vietnam • Folk song of the starlingA VIETNAMESE FOLK MUSIC STUDY • Ngô Thanh Nhàn • Dec 04, 2024MusicXML source: — MuseScore 3.6.1A4A4C58–A49–C510–D511–E5AiđemlàđemconsáoTablatureLý Con Sáo Bắc • Part #P1 • Phrase #18910891091011E5A4E5A48–A49–C510–D511–E5AlanhớphảinhớAlanhớphảithương.TablatureLý Con Sáo Bắc • Part #P1 • Phrase #2101011108911101011108910D5A4A4E5D57–G48–A49–C510–D511–E512–G5Hỡingườiàngườiơi,yỳyýaTablatureLý Con Sáo Bắc • Part #P1 • Phrase #3 1098789101110111210E5B4B4B4B4B4A4B45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D511–E512–G5Màđểchosáosangsôngớtìnhlàaiđemconsáosangsôngừứưưừ..TablatureLý Con Sáo Bắc • Part #P1 • Phrase #410111211101081088881055888810888810887A4A4B4B4A4B45–D46–E47–G48–A49–C510–D5Sáosổlồngvìainênconsáobayxa...ừứưưừ...TablatureLý Con Sáo Bắc • Part #P1 • Phrase #6888755888810888810887 Circle of FifthsRange: A4 C5 D5 E5 G4 G5 B4 D4 \n\nA\n\nE\n\nB\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nC\n\nG\nG\n\nD\nDPitch Classes: 0,1,2,3,4,5Circle of Chromatics\n\n\nE\n\n\n\nG\nG\n\n\nA\n\n\nB\n\nC\n\n\nD\nDPitch Classes: 9,0,2,4,7,11