Description: The Dan-Tinh is a chordophone which is a two stringed fretless lute. The dan-tinh is played among three ethnic groups in Vietnam, the Nung, Day and Thai. This instrument is played to accompany vocals or instrumental peaces usually solo. The term “tinh” means lute and “tau” means gourd. Originally the tinh-lute was accompanied to singing in ceremonies of the three ethnic groups to which this lute is found. The tinh lute is also used during courtship. One would also find the tinh-lute used in the “xoe” ceremony of the Thai People in Vietnam. In the case of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups only the women would play this instrument, in the Thai ethnic group it is played by both genders. the playing technique is usually acheived by the pointy finger.

Construction: The size of the instrument 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 strings 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 strings nowadays are of fishing line, in which they are tuned to a fourth.  

Citations: http://www.vnmusicology-inst.vnn.vn/english/music_instument/chordophone_Tinh_lute.html