Pi Tot


Pi Tot is a flute of wind family of arch-hole branch blown by nose of the Kh’Mu ethnic group in Son La and Lai Chau provinces.

Pi Tot is made of a small hornless bamboo. Its body is a bamboo’s section with an open end and a close end, 35-40 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter. A square-shape small hole is pierced at nearly the open end to make blowing hole. The only round-shape pressing hole is pierced at the close end.

Pi Tot is a transverse flute. When performing it, player places the arch-blowing hole at his/her nose. He/she takes air in by his/her mouth and out by his/her nose to create an air-blast into the arch hole to move the air in the section. Although Pi Tot has only one pressing hole, it has pentatonic scale: Re, Fa, Sol, La, Do.

There are blowing techniques, such as glissando, accent, and fingering techniques: glissando and appogiatura when performing Pi Tot. Its sound is warm, lovely, lyrical and suitable with sweet and profound songs.

Pi Tot is played by female in daily activities to lull a baby and in courtship activities.

Text and Photos courtesy by Vietnam Datacommunication Company (VDC)
and Vietnamese Institute for Musicology (V.I.M)