Hmong Musical Instruments

Music is the primary channel for the Hmong to convey heartfelt sentiments to family and friends, to converse directly with sprits, and to impart knowledge to future generations. Yet for a people who hold sound sacred, it is notable that the Hmong have neither a word for ‘music’ nor a myth relating music’s creation.

This is so because the Hmong consider the melodies and rhythms played on instruments to be an extension of speech—they share musical qualities of tone, rhythm, cadence, and timbre. Instruments can ‘sing’ stories, lyrics, and thoughts, just like the human voice. In this way, instrumental music serves as a surrogate language, understood both by men and spirits.