Samphor

Not to be confused with camphor.

A Cambodian boy plays a samphor (Khmer:សំភោរ).

The samphor (Khmer: សំភោរ; also romanized as sampho) is a small, 2-headed barrel drum indigenous to Cambodia, approximately .35 meter wide by .5 meter long.[1][2] It has two heads, with one drumhead being larger than the other and is played with both hands.[1][2] Depending on the ability of the musician, the samphor can make as many as 8 different pitches.[1] The player of the sampho leads the pinpeat (a classical ensemble of wind and percussion instruments), setting the tempo and beat.[2] It is also played at freestyle boxing evens, accompanying the sralai.[2] The samphor is analogous to the taphon used in Thailand.

The samphor is made by hollowing out a single block of wood into a barrel shape.[2] Both ends are covered with calfskin, tightened by strips of leather or rattan.[2] One head of the drum is larger than the other to allow differing tones.[2] Traditionally, the maker "tunes" each head by applying a circle of paste made of rice and ashes (from a palm); however a new resin paste is available today.[1][2] The pitch to which the skin head is tuned becomes lower with a thicker layer of ash.[2]

The drummer makes use of four distinct strokes: an open and closed stroke for each head. Each of these four sounds has a Cambodian name:

Open stroke, small head (ting)
Closed stroke, small head (tip)
Open stroke, large head (theung)
Closed stroke, large head (tup)

## See also

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* Music of Cambodia
* Kendang

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Khean, Yun; Dorivan, Keo; Lina, Y; Lenna, Mao. Traditional Musical Instruments of Cambodia (PDF). Kingdom of Cambodia: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. p. 226.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Skor". Angelfire. Retrieved 27 October 2018.

## External links

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* Video showing modern performance of "Apsara dance" music, with Pin harp, samphor drum (on table) and skor thom drums (on floor).
* Sampo at UMBC.edu. Photo of Master musician, Sum Tath.

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Traditional Cambodian musical instruments

Xylophones or roneat|

* Roneat ek
* Roneat thung
* Roneat dek / roneat thong (metallophone)

Gong chimes|

* Kong toch
* Kong von thom
* Kong mon

Gongs|

* Kong thom
* Kong mong
* Kong chmol
* Kong nyee
* Khmuoh
* Lau

Bells|

* Kagn Chram
* Kanderng

Drums|

* Skor yeam
* Samphor
* Skor sang na
* Skor timila ស្គរ​ទីមីឡា (hourglass drum)
* Skor thom
* Skor chhaiyam
* Skor daey (skor arak or aaroksa, skor kar, skor toch, skar ayai)
* Skor yike
* Thon and rammana

Fiddles|

* Tro (tro sau thom, tro sau toch, tro che, tro ou, tro ou chamhieng)
* Tro Khmer
* Kanö
* Mim

Plucked: harps, zithers and lutes|

* Pin
* Khim
* Krapeu
* Chapei dong veng
* Kse diev
* Kong ring

Flutes|

* Khloy (khloy ek, khloy thom)

Oboes and free reed pipes|

* Sralai (Sralai toch, sralai thom)
* Kaen
* Ploy
* Pey au
* Pey pok
* Angkuoch
* Sneng

Horns and trumpets|

* Tre
* Sneng

Other|

* Chhing (finger chimes)
* Chap
* Krap
* Traw dauk
* Kyang Saing ខ្យងស័ង្ខ
* Slek

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