The pi nok is smallest among pi nok, klang, and nai. Pi noks have been played since the ancient times.
Pi nai
The pi nai is commonly seen in Thai literature such as Phra Aphai Mani.
Pi cha nai
The pi chanai is pi song thon. The body part is called lao pi, the mouthpiece part is called "lamphong". Both parts are made from wood or ivory. It is presumed that the Thais obtained this musical influence from India due to its similarity to the Indianshehnai. Pi have been used in Thai since the Sukhothai period. At present, it is played together with the pi chawa in parades and in concerts.
Pi chawa
The pi chawa is pi song thon like the pi chanai, but longer. It is made from wood or ivory. It is presumed Thais took on introducing the pi chawa as same time as the glong khaek. From some evidence, they used pi chawa in Krabuan Phayuhayattra in the pre-Ayutthaya period. The pi chawa today is used mostly during funeral rites.
Pi chum
A pi chum is a musical instrument from northern Thailand. It is like an oboe. It is found in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampoon and Lampang. People play a pi chum for their activity. The word "chum" in Thai means "group", so when people play a pi chum, they play as a group.
Construction
The body of the pi chum is made from bamboo. The pipe and the reed are made from copper. A pi chum has seven holes on the body that are used to set the tone of played,There are four types of pi chum that are separated by size, length and voice. The first one is the pi mae which has a length of 70–80 cm. It is larger than other pi chums and has a bass voice. The second one is the pi krang , which is smaller than the pi mae. It has a length of 60–65 cm. and it has a balance voice. The third one is pi koy, which is smaller than the pi krang but bigger than the pi tad. It has a length of 45–55 cm. The voice of the pi koy is treble. The last type is the pi tad or pi lek, which is the smallest pi chum. It has a length 35–40 cm. The voice of pi tad is treble but higher than the pi koy. A group that has all four instruments is called a ‘pi chum si’ and a group that has three instruments is called a ‘pi chum sarm’.
Pi mon
The pi mon is pi song thon like pi chawa but greater. Lao pi is made from wood. Lamphong is made from metal. The pi mon is played usually in the piphat mon ensemble or in the old called pi phat raman ensemble.
Pi nae
The pi nae is the northern Thai equivalent of the Burmese Hne. It's often played in ensembles in northern Thailand that are similar to the piphat, piphat mon, and Hsaing waing traditions.
