Learning Burmese (Saung Gauk) Music: Pathway Through World Music Pedagogy

Abstract

The Burmese arched harp, known as Saung Gauk, is the national icon of the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (once called Burma). It is both ancient and contemporary, and its music frequently carries stories that are threaded with long-standing philosophical principles of the Burmese. The music of the Saung Gauk consists of five primary pitches (and two ornamental extras) that provide intriguing melodies, and a bronze bell and wood clapper provide the accompanying rhythm in traditional practice, even while Burmese-style piano and tuned drums may fill out an ensemble in which Saung Gauk is featured. A learning pathway will detail ways to approach this extraordinary music and the special place of this harp in Burmese identity.