Description: The Dan-Tinh is a two stringed lute found amongst the Nung, Tay and Thai ethnic groups in Northern Vietnam. The Tay people call this instrument "Tin Tau" the term “tinh” means lute and “tau” means gourd. The Nung and the Tay ethnic groups play the tinh in ceremonial music, the Thai people in Northern Vietnam play the tinh lute for the xoe dance both men and women play the tinh lute. Among the Tay and Nung ethnic groups the tinh is only played by the women. The dan-tinh are available in a couple sizes my dan-tinh is of a smaller size. My tinh lute is approximately 96cm in length from body to the head-stock.
Anatomy of the Dan-Tinh: The size of the dan-tinh is determined upon the range of the voice of the musician. The neck of the dan-tinh is constructed from cinnamon wood; the body is hand carved from a gourd, two holes for the neck to go through the gourd and in turn provides the basic structure of the lute. The lute has two or three strings in the old days the lutes’ strings were of raw-silk in which the strings were polished either with bees-wax or the resin of the sweet potato leaves. Most of the Dan-tinh are strung with fishing line.