How the ranat makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the ranat belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
Ranat is the generic name for keyboard percussion instruments used in the music of Thailand. The bars of the various types of ranat may be made from hardwood or bamboo (ranat ek ระนาดเอก and ranat thum ระนาดทุ้ม), metal (ranat ek lek ระนาดเอกเหล็ก and ranat thum lek ระนาดทุ้มเหล็ก), or, much more rarely, glass (ranat kaeo ระนาดแก้ว).
Other struck idiophones
More instruments from Thailand
Frequently asked questions
What does a ranat sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the ranat?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.212).
Where does the ranat come from?
The ranat originates from Thailand.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q4667250 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Ranat – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Paul_012 – CC BY-SA 3.0