THE HISTORY OF THAI MUSICAL NOTATION

Abstract

Musical notation is a crucial communication tool in music circles. In the past, musical notation was not popular in Thai music teaching and learning. The music teaching and learning were passed on orally face-to-face in the musical academies. Then a music teaching and learning system turned to be more available in class. Therefore, the adaptation of the teaching and learning to suit the changing context was required. The musical notation was used in Thai classical music teaching and learning. Thai musical notation first existed in the reign of King Narai the Great of Ayutthaya Period by French Ambassador La Loubère who had recorded one Thai song with the international musical notation. In the reign of King Rama IV of the Rattanakosin Period, Thai musical notation was recorded to perform in a brass band in soldiers’ march by British Captain Impey and Captain Knox. Then Krom Phra Nakhon Sawan Worrapinit recorded Thai songs with the international musical notation and assigned Mr. Paul Cyric, his friend, to use the international musical notation to record a lot of Thai songs.  Lieutenant Colonel Phra A-phai Phonrop invented Thai musical notation based on the international musical notation using Thai alphabets to represent the sound levels and then Luang Pradit Phai-roh (Sorn Silpa-banleng) invented 9 Thai numeral musical notations. At the same time, Duriyaban Store numeral musical notation was also very popular. Phra Chen Duriyang was assigned by the Royal Society to record Thai songs with the international musical notation system.   The Fine Arts Department also recorded Thai musical notation with the international musical notation system and the two series, “Hom Rong Yen” and “Tham Khwan,” were published.  Phra Chen Duriyang adapted Cheve musical notation system to record Thai songs. The Fine Arts Department published a journal to promote Thai songs with the international musical notation, one song per each issue. Then all Thai songs with the international musical notation were republished in three collections, “The Notation of Thai songs 1, 2 and 3”. After that,  Mr. Sudchai Sribencha showed his own version of Thai songs recorded with the international musical notation which were slightly different from the versions of The Fine Arts Department.  Then came the popularity of Thai Do-Re-Mi musical notation which has been popular up to the present time. The Fine Arts Department reprinted the three collections, “The Notation of Thai songs 1, 2 and 3” in the international musical notation recorded with computers to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.  Finally, Kasetsart University published the international musical notation of Thai songs whose master copy was from the US.