Sa-Lor

Rich folk music and amazing, unique instruments fill the musical traditions of Thailand. Music is a treasure there, and like other riches, some of it is freely shared and some is very carefully protected.

Many of the stringed instruments created in Thailand have bows that are attached to the instrument, with either the hair of the bow rubbing completely against the backs of the strings, or the hairs half woven through them. The Sa-Lor, however, is the one instrument that has a free bow. It is made of a fine gourd cut in half, off center. The large opening left in the larger half is covered with a sound board and a small hole is drilled in the other side. A round hardwood neck is used to hold two teak tuning pins. A tiny bridge holds two fine metal strings off the sound board.



The sound of a Sa-Lor can vary from soft and fine to sharp and tinny. There is always a whiny quality about it that makes it perfectly suited for playing instrumental versions of Thai folk music. This music is the part of this Thai treasure that is freely shared. Playing techniques, on the other hand, are very jealously guarded. So guarded, in fact, that there are only a handful of people who can play a Sa-Lor well!

The music of a Sa-Lor is used by men to court women. Fathers will often wait until late in their lives to pass the skills on to their sons, thereby cutting down on the competition!

In case you aren't aware of my passion for all things musical, I collect unique instruments from around the world. (No, sadly, I don't get to go around the world to find them, but the Internet is a truly wonderful thing!) After some careful research into the man who makes these instruments to sell through an online company called Novica (very cool if you want to go check them out) I added a Sa-Lor to my collection a few years ago. It is a beautiful instrument that does take some skill to play. I am able to pick out a few tunes on it, but I certainly have not mastered the skills to make it sing. I often take it down, though, and bow a tune or two from the whiny strings. I just love the feel of it, the look and sound of it, and the amazing story behind it. I always feel like I'm hearing a special secret when I play the Sa-Lor.

(I will post a few pictures of mine later. Mine is not a fretted instrument like the one shown in the photo above . . .)