Chakhe

Chakhe

Thai chakhe
String instrument
Other names	Takhe, krapeu
Classification	String (plucked)
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	314.122 (box zither)
Related instruments
Mi gyaung

The chakhe (Thai: จะเข้, pronounced [tɕā.kʰêː], also spelled jakhe or ja-khe; Lao: ຈະເຂ້, pronounced [tɕā.kʰȅː]), or krapeu (Khmer: ក្រពើ; also called takhe Khmer: តាខេ, takhe, takkhe or charakhe), is a fretted floor zither or lute with three strings used in Thai and Khmer music. The Thai and the Khmer versions of the instrument are virtually identical.^[1]

It is made of hardwood in a stylized crocodile shape, approximately 20 cm high and 130–132 cm long. The "head" portion is 52 cm long, 28 cm wide and 9–12 cm deep; the "tail" portion 81 cm long and 11.5 cm wide. It has eleven (chakhe)^[2] or twelve (krapeu) raised frets made of bamboo, ivory, bone, or wood,^[3] graduated between 2 and 3.5 cm in height,^[2] which are affixed to the fretboard with wax or glue. Its highest two strings are made of silk yarn, catgut, or nylon, while the lowest is made of metal.^[3] They are tuned C–G–c.^[2] The instrument is usually supported by three or five legs.^[3]

The player, sitting beside the instrument, uses their left hand on the fretboard while plucking the string with their right hand using a 5- to 6-cm long, tapered plectrum made from ivory, bone, or water buffalo horn, which is tied to the player's index finger, and bracing it with the thumb and index finger.^[2] The instrument produces a buzzing sound because the strings are raised slightly off the flat bridge by a sliver of bamboo or other thin material such as plastic.

Cambodian woman playing a krapeu ក្រពើ or takhe តាខេ. The drum that is audible is a skor daey goblet drums or another short Cambodian goblet drum.

A Cambodian woman plays a krapeu ក្រពើ or takhe តាខេ. She is using her left hand to press on the strings and specify notes while her right hand plucks with a plectrum.

In Thai music, the chakhe is part of the Mahori ensemble; in Khmer music, the krapeu is part of the equivalent Mohori. Among the Khmer classical instruments, the takhe is probably the most recently introduced; it is assumed to be adopted from Thai music.^[3] It is used for wedding music, A-yai, and Chapei music, as well as modern music.

The name chakhe is derived from chorakhe (จระเข้), meaning "crocodile".^[2] The word krapeu means "alligator" or "crocodile" in the Khmer language, as well.^[3]

Chakhe and krapeu are also related to the Myanmar/Mon mi gyaung (kyam), which has realistic zoological features and not just the abstract form of a crocodile.^[2] More distantly, they are also related to the Indian Veena.^{[citation needed]}