Description:
The koukin is an aerophone (jaw harp) from Vietnam and is played in the
Yunnan province of Southern China. The playing method is achieved
through an oscillation of the index finger and thumb in which produces
a bottom-note or sympathetic tone. The middle finger is the one that
triggers the change in the melody when this instrument is played. The
brass variation of this instrument is played by many minority
ethnic groups both in China and in Vietnam. The minority ethnic-groups who play the koukin are the "Lahu Ata", the "Yi Hehe", the "Hani aye", and the "Jinuo Qikui". The Naxi peoples play a bamboo form of the koukin. The Mandarin-Chinese name [Koukin] is a generic name for jaw-harps and sometimes a variant name is found [kouxian] in English this name translates as "mouth-string".
The koukin are commonly made of brass usually they have three or four lamellaphones that tied together with a thin piece of brass. In China and Vietnam many minoirty ethnic groups play the brass koukin. As with all forms of jaw harp; all four lamellaphones cover the mouth and each lamellaphone produceses a buzzing tone . The koukin are quite melodic and they do have a surprisingly pleasant sound.