The Hmong people are not only famous for their unique, vibrant costumes that bloom like flowers amidst the mountains and forests, but also for the diversity of their traditional musical instruments, such as the khaen, flute, leaf horn, and, most uniquely, the mouth horn (tu ghe).
For many other Hmong ethnic groups, the mouth organ is primarily used by young men to express their feelings, love, and longing for each other. However, for the Hmong Hoa (Hmong Lenh) people, mainly residing in Cao Son hamlet, Dan Chu commune (Hoa An district), the mouth organ is also a musical instrument for sharing stories and narratives at night.
While horns are the primary wind instruments used in rituals, customs, and religious practices, flutes and mouth harps are mainly used by the Hmong people at night. The lyrics, words, and music they sing are a way of sharing their feelings, telling stories, and expressing unspoken emotions that cannot be shared with anyone else. Sometimes it's about love, other times it's a deep longing for home and family.
The mouth harp, also known as the mouth harp, is a unique and ancient musical instrument of the Hmong people. It is a self-sounding instrument made from a thin piece of copper, shaped like a rice leaf, with a handle at one end and a pointed end for plucking. A reed is created in the center; when plucked, the reed vibrates, and the mouth cavity acts as a resonator, producing sounds of varying volume, pitch, and intonation. While seemingly simple, its creation is incredibly complex, requiring meticulous craftsmanship and a deep understanding of Hmong music , the instrument's traditions, and its cultural heritage.
The harmonica consists of three main parts: a small brass reed, a bamboo tube, and a brass tongue. These parts are connected by many brightly colored threads, braided together to form a strong cord.
In the construction of a harmonica, the brass plate is the main part of the instrument. The brass used is carefully selected, then melted and poured into molds into small, thin sheets, about 7 cm long. After being flattened, the brass sheet is divided into two parts, separated by a groove. The middle part of the brass sheet is where the reed is placed, so it must be made meticulously and carefully. The middle part is made very thin and uniform; the thickness is just right – not too thick, which would produce an inaccurate and clear sound, and not too thin, which would make the harmonica prone to breakage.
Next is the reed, which is attached to a brass piece and is the most important part of the harmonica. Whether the sound quality is good or not depends on the elasticity of the reed. The reed, or small brass rod, is about 5 cm long and resembles a large sewing needle. It is precisely cut centimeter by centimeter to fit snugly with the brass piece; if it doesn't fit, no sound will be produced. When the reed is attached to the brass piece, the harmonica will have a shape similar to a safety pin.
The remaining part of the mouth organ is the bamboo tube (or reed tube). This bamboo tube is 1-2 cm longer than the organ, compact, with one end larger enough to hold the organ, and the other end tapering, just enough to thread a string through. The bamboo tube and the end of the copper piece are connected by many colorful threads braided into a long string. When using the organ, the player pulls it out of the bamboo tube; when not in use, they use the connecting string to pull the organ back into the tube for storage. The outer body of the bamboo tube is often decorated with intricate patterns, carved or covered with a piece of embroidered fabric. The patterns on the tube are usually triangles, rectangles, leaf motifs, animals... symbolizing mountains, plants, and animals in the daily life of the Hmong people. Like a jewelry box, the bamboo tube serves to preserve and store the organ.
To play the harmonica, the player must hold the base of the harmonica steady with their left hand, positioning it at a distance from their lips that doesn't touch their teeth. The thumb of the right hand plucks the head of the harmonica, causing the reed inside to vibrate, transmitting the sound to the mouth and resonating within the oral cavity. To play the harmonica effectively, the player must know how to control their breath, producing vowels such as a, e, i, o, u… in their throat according to the melody or lyrics. The secret to playing the harmonica is knowing how to hold the breath in the chest so that the volume of air escaping is not too large. This maintains a stable breath support, producing sounds of varying pitches, creating the characteristic melodies of the harmonica.
Ms. Duong Thi Mi, a Hmong woman from Cao Son hamlet, Dan Chu commune (Hoa An district), shared: "I started playing the mouth harp when I was 12 years old, almost 40 years now. The mouth harp is a difficult instrument, unlike the leaf horn or flute; breath control is extremely important. Breath control is not like talking; you have to know how to breathe evenly and take in just the right amount of air. It takes a long time of practice to be able to play the harp according to each melody."
Playing the harmonica is one thing, but distinguishing the tones of the harmonica is even more difficult. The tone of the harmonica used for expressing love is different from the tone used for self-reflection or confession. When playing the harmonica to express love, you can't play it too loudly or too softly; the sound must be just loud enough for only the two of you to hear, because harmonicas are often used at night, so the sound carries far. However, when playing the harmonica to express feelings or confession, the sound must be loud and clear, carrying far enough for many people to hear, empathize, and join in playing their harmonicas in harmony.
The Hmong mouth organ is special because it is usually only used at night, amidst the majestic mountain forests, where whispered words, heartfelt confessions, and self-reflections resonate far and wide like a grand concert with the stage being the gable end, on the rocky outcrop in front of the house… And the person playing the mouth organ is the artist telling their story, their innermost feelings.
The traditional Hmong musical instruments, though simple, are rich in their ability to express sound and emotion, and hold an indispensable place in their cultural life. Amidst societal changes, with technology gradually infiltrating every village, and shifts in lifestyles and habits, the Hmong people's cultural thinking has significantly impacted them. Mouthpieces and other musical instruments have been affected to some extent and are gradually losing their place in daily life. But no matter how much society develops, the cultural essence of the ethnic group remains the root and the bond that connects each person.
Although not as common as before, somewhere in the mountains and forests, the sound of the mouth organ still echoes every night, as if to prove the enduring existence of the Hmong ethnic culture through many generations.
Thuy Tien
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