Tibetan Musical Instrument – Dramyin

Tibetan Musical Instrument – History of Dramyin

Based on the record in the Feast for Eyes and Ears which was written by Diba Sangjie Jiacuo in the period of the fifth Dalai Lama, the Dramyin is a kind of Tibetan plucked instrument with long history. In addition, this work also introduced the history and category of Dramyin, the structure of strings of Dramyin and various techniques of playing Dramyin at length. At the same time, there was a large amount of music score of Rika Eru (which is a kind of palace music) and literature score of playing Dramyin. Now, travelers still can see the grand scene of playing Dramyin to celebrate through the fresco which was painted about 1300 years ago in grand Jokhang Temple. According to the Record of Ladake King that "a long time ago, star appeared, followed with red light. In the period of Crown Princess Gequ, music and Dramyin appeared". We can see from various historical records that Dramyin – traditional Tibetan instrument is with a long history.

Tibetan Musical Instrument – Introduction of Dramyin

In Tibetan language, the Dramyin means "beautiful and melodious sound". The Dramyin can be divided into several categories, such as Dramyin with 8 strings, Dramyin with 16 strings, Dramyin with 20 strings, Dramyin with 6 strings, etc. Among these Dramyin, the most common and famous one is the Dramyin with 6 strings. At the same time, the Dramyin with 6 strings is widely used in each prefecture of Tibet and other districts where Tibetans living in.

The Dramyin is over 1 meter long. On the Dramyin, there are six knobs. The bottom of Dramyin, which is as large as people's head, is covered by sheep skin and saddle.

The tone color of Dramyin is gentle and meticulous. Because the Dramyin is very light, it can be taken at any time. If have time, Tibetans will sit on the ground with Dramyin in their arms. Then, they will sing songs and play Dramyin.

The Dramyin is widely used in Tibet. From upper Sanwei in Ngari Prefecture in Tibet to the Tsang in middle of Tibet, from upper Shannan, Lhasa and Nyingchi Prefecture in Tibet to down Anduo, you will see Tibetans playing Dramyin everywhere. Tibetans will sing songs while playing Dramyin to sing their beautiful hometown, praise their kindly father and mother, tell the happiness and hardship in their life and introduce the origin of Dramyin. The content of these songs singed while playing Dramyin is almost same in different prefectures of Tibet, but the style of playing Dramyin varies with different prefectures.

If you are a music fan and interested in Tibetan traditional music, you should not miss the good opportunity to enjoy the beautiful music played by Dramyin during your Tibet tour. It is not only an opportunity to please your ears, but also an opportunity to experience local Tibetan life. At the same time, it will add more fun to your Tibet tour if you come across the scene of playing Dramyin in your Tibet tour.