Preserving the Ta Lu musical instrument.

QTO - To this day, Mr. Ho Van Viet in Vuc Leng village, Ta Rut commune, still harbors many worries and anxieties about whether the Ta Lu instrument, along with other traditional musical instruments that form the "soul" of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups, will fade away over time. Will the Ta Lu instrument continue to be preserved and accompany time, as beautifully described in the lyrics of the song "The Green Forest Resounds with the Sound of the Ta Lu" (by composer Phuong Nam): "The instrument accompanies us across streams and ravines, through fields and through countless forests / The instrument accompanies us to fight the Americans day and night, amidst the green forest, countless songs resound…".

According to Mr. Ho Van Viet, through research with elders, the original Ta Lu instrument was made of bamboo and had only one string. Over many generations, Ta Lu instrument makers have modified and improved the instrument, gradually perfecting it to have three strings and capable of accompanying most Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko folk melodies such as: Ca Loi-Cha Chap, Xieng, A Un, Caraun, Terate'k, Ra Zok, Caracadoi, T'rel...

Mr. Ho Van Viet's passion for making Ta Lu musical instruments began around 2007. That year, the Aya festival (harvest festival) was held in Vuc Leng village, and many artisans playing traditional musical instruments of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups from other villages brought their instruments to play music and contribute to the festivities in Vuc Leng.

Among the traditional musical instruments that contributed to the Aya festival in Vuc Leng village, Mr. Ho Van Viet was particularly impressed with the Ta Lu instrument. After the festival, Mr. Ho Van Viet proactively sought out artisans who made Ta Lu instruments in many villages to learn how to make them, and also learned how to play the Ta Lu, as well as many Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko folk melodies from the distinguished artisan Kray Suc.

Mr. Ho Van Viet crafting a Ta Lu musical instrument - Photo: SH

According to Mr. Ho Van Viet, the first step in making a standard Ta Lu instrument is selecting the right materials. Currently, the main material used for making Ta Lu instruments is jackfruit wood. After felling the jackfruit tree, the artisans saw it into sections about 1 meter long, then dry them for 1-2 months. Once the jackfruit wood is dry, the next step is carving it into the shape of the Ta Lu instrument.

The Ta Lu instrument is approximately 70cm long; the neck connecting to the body is about 40cm; at the end of the neck is a sound-amplifying part, beveled into the shape of a closed hand to catch a falling drop of water, and fitted with knobs for adjusting the sound.

Besides the traditional 2-string and 3-string Ta Lu instruments, Mr. Ho Van Viet has now modified and crafted a 4-string Ta Lu instrument that can accompany all Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko folk melodies, as well as contemporary songs, with frames of various sizes. The Ta Lu strings used now are the same as guitar strings.

Of all the steps in crafting a Ta Lu instrument, the most difficult is arranging the keys to achieve the correct sound. This step requires the Ta Lu craftsman to be thoroughly familiar with folk melodies in order to place the keys in the right position, ensuring the instrument's sound is not "off-key".

It is known that from 2007 to the present, Mr. Ho Van Viet has personally made more than 400 Ta Lu musical instruments. Many of the Ta Lu instruments made by Mr. Ho Van Viet have contributed lively and joyful sounds to many festivals in the villages of Ta Rut, La Lay communes, etc. Mr. Ho Van Viet always hopes that the relevant authorities will find solutions to maintain and develop the traditional Ta Lu instrument making craft passed down from his ancestors.

  Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202512/luu-giu-cay-dan-ta-lu-6554264/