French artist discovers the Vietnamese spirit by playing monochord

Sylvain Streiff practicing 'dan bau'

Nhan Dan Online – Few Vietnamese arts students choose to learn the ‘dan bau’ (Vietnamese traditional monochord) but even less international players pick up the one string instrument; Sylvain Streiff, however, a young artist from France, is fascinated by the unique instrument.

He granted Thoi Nay (Present Time) newspaper an interview to discuss his passion.

What brought you to Vietnam?

My girlfriend. She came to Vietnam for travel, and then came back to the country for a short time to work.

When she was home, she continuously talked about Vietnam, her desire to live there as well as her love for the country, particularly Hanoi.

At first, I thought she wasn’t serious. Finally though, she succeeded in convincing me to visit Vietnam. And now, I am “trapped”, I am so charmed by Vietnam that it’s difficult for me to leave.

So, did you discover ‘dan bau’ once you arrived here?

No. Before I left I looked into Vietnamese traditional music, and I was deeply impressed by dan bau. The first time I heard the sound made by this unique instrument, I was so excited that I decided I had to learn it, no matter what.

Vietnam has a number of unique folk instruments, why did you give ‘dan bau’ a try?

Because dan bau is the only instrument with just one string so as long as you know how to twang it well and understand the vibrato technique, you can produce sound similar to the human voice when singing.

In addition to possessing beautiful and profound timbre, the instrument has the magical capacity to produce any given note.

What is the hardest part of learning ‘dan bau’?

At first I found it difficult to hold firmly its wooden rod. The second challenge was how to ensure the accuracy of its vibrato, which requires careful listening and the flexibility of your hand/ arm.

Although I have played guitar with just one string for a long time, it is very difficult for me to control the only string of dan bau. When you make the first vibrato on the string, it is hard to identify exactly where to put the plectrum next. In my first classes, my teacher could not help laughing at my clumsiness and the awkward sound I made.

Is there any difference playing a one string guitar and a ‘dan bau’?

I feel something different when practicing the two instruments. While playing dan bau, I can release all of my thoughts and emotion through my fingers.

You said it was difficult to practice a ‘dan bau’, so why do you continue?

I think dan bau reflects the Vietnamese language, which is a part of the Vietnamese soul. Thus, I like touching the soul/ spirit of Vietnamese music through playing the instrument.

For me, music is a sort of language, and the language featured in music is not the notes but the way you play them, in another word, it is all about intonation rather than the harmony of the notes.

I found that intonation plays a crucial role in Vietnamese language as it defines the meaning of every single word and sentence. As dan bau can be tuned from low to high, there is so much possible variety when it comes to the rhythm or intonation of the musical-language.

Also, playing dan bau is a good way for me to quickly improve my Vietnamese language ability.

Thank you so much for the interview!

The monochord, called ‘dan bau‘ in Vietnamese language, is an traditional musical instruments of purely Vietnamese origin. Originally, a dan bau was made of four parts: a bamboo tube, a wooden rod, a coconut shell half, and a silk string. The string was strung across the bamboo, tied on one end to the rod, which is perpendicularly attached to the bamboo. The coconut shell was attached to the rod, serving as a resonator. With only one string stretched over a sound box, the instrument can produce all the sounds in the pentatonic scale and produce smooth melodies. Dan bau is usually played solo or to accompany poetry recitals, though in recent years it has been added to the orchestral accompaniment to cheo (traditional oprea) and cai luong (reformed theatre).

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