 Saw sam sai at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | |
| String instrument | |
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| Other names | ซอสามสาย |
| Classification | Bowed string instrument |
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The saw sam sai (Thai: ซอสามสาย, pronounced [sɔː sǎːm sǎːj]; RTGS: so sam sai; also spelled sō sām sāi, saw samsai, and occasionally simply sam sai; lit. 'three-stringed fiddle') is a traditional bowed string instrument of Thailand. It is in the saw family of Thai fiddles, which also includes the saw u and saw duang, but unlike the other two, it has three strings and a bow that is separate from the instrument.
The saw sam sai is made up of three parts: the bout, the neck, and the bow. It has a three-lobed coconut bowl for a body, covered on one end with animal skin, and a hardwood or ivory neck that is cleaned and polished with wood varnish. Its bow is constructed of horsetail and hardwood. Other elements include the pegs, nut, bridge, lasso, and strings. Typically, the player glues a jewel onto the skin before playing to reduce the skin's resonance. The instrument is regarded as one of high stature and is often ornately decorated. It is believed to have been used since the Sukhothai period, and is related to a very similar Cambodian instrument called tro Khmer.
The three silk strings on the saw sam sai produce the notes "so" on the higher-pitched upper string (สายเอก, sai ek, or สายบน, sai bon), "re" on the middle string (สายใน, sai nai, or สายกลาง, sai klang) and "la" on the lower-pitched bottom string (สายทุ้ม, sai thum, or สายล่าง, sai lang).