| C-F-C-G-C | |
| Day Rach-Gia | E-A-D-G-D-G |
| Day Lai (aculturated tuning) | D-A-D-G-D-G |
| Day Sai Gon (Saigon Tuning) | D-G-D-G-D-G |
| Hu ai Cam (Slide Guitar) | G-D-G-B-D |
Name: Luc Huyen Cam, Dan-Ghita or Ghita.
Type: Plucked Lute > Chordophones.
Region: Vietnam > South East Asia.
Dimensions:
Acquisition Date:
Acquisition Source:
Description:
The luc Huyen Cam is a type of scalloped-guitar found in Vietnam.
Alternate names for this instrument include “dan ghita” or “Ghita”.
Currently there are four stringed, five stringed and six stringed
versions of this instrument available. In the 1920s an elementary
school teacher named Giao Ten along with his college Rach Gia
introduced the guitar in a remote province in Vietnam. In the
development of this type of guitar two major alterations were made,
firstly the spaces between each fret are scalloped with a file and then
they are sanded down. The second part is the use of very thin gauge
strings. The techniques used for this type of guitar playing involve a
lot of note bending, vibrato and glissando they are influenced from
traditional Vietnamese instruments such as the dan-bau, dan-nguyet
(lute) and dan-tranh (zither). The luc huyen cam became a favourite
musical instrument in the Tai Tu and Cai Luong genres. In 1927 the Ha
ui cam or Hawaiian guitar was introduced to Vietnam from Hawaii it is
played as a slide guitar having raised strings. When acheiving the usage of these tunings, one should avoid the
use of thicker-gauge strings would be prone to snapping.
Citations: New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments by Stanley Sadie -article by Tran Quang Hai P. 542 & P. 543 > Garland Encyclopedia of World Music South East Asia P. 47