Đàn Tranh Course Hosted by Mekong NYC – Fall 2023 – Manhattan Academy of Music & Language

Mekong NYC hosts a music class to teach students how to play the đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither). The class is infused with storytelling, especially Vietnamese folk tales and culture, community building through group playing and listening, and group theory, examining traditional Vietnamese and Cambodian songs and pop music.

Zoom Meeting or in-person at
Yes We Can Music Office
40 West 135th St., Ste. 1S, NY10037

You can stick to or alternate between Tuesdays and Sundays.

Prerequisite: none. All are welcome.

Đàn Tranh can be loaned from Mekong NYC.

Classes are conducted in person or via Zoom. Eight sessions will cover the basics and three songs: “Yellow Submarine (Tàu Ngầm Màu Vàng), “Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi” (Northern Song), and “Lý Mười Thương (Traditional Huế Song). Students will learn how the Vietnamese created a basic version called “lòng bản” from Vietnamese unique free styles

Curriculum

Session 1: (Sunday 22 Oct, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 24 Oct, 2023 at 7 PM)
- Class recording Sunday Oct 22 at 12PM (Hybrid)
- Class recording Tuesday Oct 24 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Introducing the audio of the 3 songs that we will learn in this course, take a listen of these during the next few weeks:
  - “Yellow Submarine (Tàu Ngầm Màu Vàng),
  - “Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi” (Floating fern Wandering cloud – Northern Song), and
  - “Lý Mười Thương/Lý Tình Tang” (Love You for 10 Reasons – Traditional Huế Song)
- Explaining the differences between time of practicing Đàn Tranh (Multi-Level Approaches)
  - Focus on Sounds
  - Focus on Techniques / Speeds
  - Focus on Note reading / Theory
  - Focus on Ear Training
  - Focus on Repertoire
  - Focus on Improvisations
  - Focus on Emotions
- You & Your Đàn Tranh (Swallow Positions, Sitting, Hand Position, Touch Points, Bead Navigation)
- Finger sensation
- String order & Tuning
- Tablature Reading
- Yellow Submarine (Lòng Bản – Part 1)
Session 2: (Sunday 29 Oct, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Nov 7 at 7PM)
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Oct 29 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Nov 7 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Right Hand Techniques:
  - Single Notes. Patterns suggest by students
  - Octaves. Patterns suggest by students
  - Three Finger Exercises
- Compare Sounds of the Zither Family
- Left Hand Techniques
  - Left Hand Techniques – Do’s & Don’ts
- Yellow Submarine (Lòng Bản – Full)
Session 3: (Sunday 5 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 14 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Nov 5 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Nov 14 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi Floating Fern Wandering Cloud (Lòng Bản – Key Phrases)
  - Pulse – Beat – Rhythm (Evenness + Accents)
  - Switching fingerings when switching directions of the melody.
  - Single Notes. Patterns suggest by students
  - Á Glissando
Session 4: (Sunday 12 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 14 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Nov 12 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Nov 21 at 7PM (Hybrid) – No Shows
- 7 suggested exercises (Feel free to create your own) – Adjust the playback speed as needed.
  - Multiple Fingers Patterns
  - Quãng 8 Octaves
  - Á Glissandi
    - Á Đi Lên Ascending Glissandi
    - Á Đi Xuống Descending Glissandi
- Explored different techniques often used by Đàn Tranh’s artist:
  - Rung Vibratos
  - Tách Quãng 8 Breaking up the last notes into a broken octave.
  - Song Thanh Blocked Octaves on heightened moments.
  - Adding Á Glissandos at the beginning of the phrase.
  - Fast figure
- Using timestamp to access the Bèo Giạt Mây Trôi‘s practice-along video (each phrase are looped 12 times).
Session 5: (Sunday 19 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 21 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)
- Class recording (Hybrid – Both sessions)
  - Class recording Sunday Nov 19 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Nov 28 at 7PM (Hybrid) – No Shows
- Review 7 Suggested Exercises
- Left Hand Techniques – Do’s & Don’ts
- Prepping for Tremolos (Speed)
- Octaves – Tuning – Nốt Hò – Nốt Rung
- Improvisation & Composition on Đàn Tranh
  - Tag Line (Câu Lót) (–> Rung Strings or Hò String): tagged at the end of a musical idea. Can be alone, repeated or paired with another Tag Line.
  - Show-off section: No rules, can be on the side of loud/fast or slow/deep.
Session 6: (Sunday Dec 3, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 5, 2023 at 7 PM)
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Dec 3 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Dec 5 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Tuning Steps:
  - Step 1: Arrange the con nhạn “swallows” in a neat row.
    - The highest con nhạn “swallows” is approximately the length of an index finger away from the bridge.
    - The lowest con nhạn “swallows” is about a foot away from the tuning pegs.
    - Con nhạn “swallows” become closer to each other as the strings become shorter. This is because less movement of con nhạn “swallows” is required to adjust the high strings.
  - Step 2: Find a suitable place to put or clip your tuner, or use a ninja tuner on your phone.
  - Step 3: Begin tuning from the lowest string:
    - Pluck the string with the right hand while tuning the tuning peg with the left hand. Push down as you turn.
    - Often, we don’t need to look at the right hand plucking to save time; instead, glance back and forth between the two ends of the instrument.
  - Most tuning is accomplished by turning the peg first.
  - Use con nhạn “swallows” only for fine adjustments.
- Using VoceVista to observe the differences between:
  - Tone with good resonance vs. tone that is not “healthy” or “not full”
  - Differentiating between bending and gliding
  - Left-hand exercises for bending and gliding on G-C-D strings
- Lý Mười Thương (Standard tuning with WIDE rung vibrato on C & D strings)
  - Explaining the Tag Lines of Lý Mười Thương
  - Explaining Huế Styles for vibration on Lý Mười Thương
Session 7: (Sunday 10 Dec, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 12, 2023 at 7 PM )
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Dec 10 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Tuesday Dec 12 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Lý Mười Thương
  - Vuốt Gliding Exercises
  - Guide Practice Videos
  - Review Healthy Tones and Vibration with VoceVista
- Improvise
Session 8: (Sunday Dec 17, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 19, 2023 at 7 PM)

Special Venue For Sunday Dec 17: Milbank Chapel, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th street, NY 10027

For Tuesday Dec 19: Regular Location
- Class recording (Hybrid)
  - Class recording Sunday Dec 17 at 12PM (Live)
  - Class recording Tuesday Dec 19 at 7PM (Hybrid)
- Tuning in a way that the switch between C pentatonic (for Lý Mười Thường and Bèo Giạt Mây Trôi) and F pentatonic (for Yellow Submarine) can be quick while performing.
- Recap the rationale of the curriculum
- Narration: “Captain Beatles and a Huế Girl”
  - Introducing
  - Practicing different scenes in the narration
  - First runthrough
- Reception. Thank you all!

40 West 135th Street, Ste. 1S, New York, NY 10037