View source for Samphor

{{confused|camphor}}
[[File:Samphor.jpg|thumb|A Cambodian boy plays a samphor (Khmer:សំភោរ).]]

The '''''samphor''''' ({{langx|km|សំភោរ}}; also romanized as ''sampho'') is a small, 2-headed [[barrel drum]] indigenous to [[Cambodia]], approximately .35 meter wide by .5 meter long.<ref name=unesco>{{cite book |last1= Khean|first1=Yun |last2= Dorivan|first2= Keo|last3= Lina |first3= Y|last4= Lenna|first4= Mao|title= Traditional Musical Instruments of Cambodia|url= http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001352/135257mb.pdf|location= Kingdom of Cambodia|publisher= United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|page= 226 }}</ref><ref name=angelfire>{{cite web |url= https://www.angelfire.com/art/apsarakhmer/skor.htm|title= Skor |author=<!--Not stated--> |website= [[Angelfire]]|access-date= 27 October 2018}}</ref>  It has two heads, with one drumhead being larger than the other and is played with both hands.<ref name=unesco/><ref name=angelfire/> Depending on the ability of the musician, the samphor can make as many as 8 different pitches.<ref name=unesco/> The player of the sampho leads the ''[[pinpeat]]'' (a classical ensemble of wind and percussion instruments), setting the tempo and beat.<ref name=angelfire/>  It is also played at freestyle boxing evens, accompanying the [[sralai]].<ref name=angelfire/> The ''samphor'' is analogous to the ''[[taphon]]'' used in [[Culture of Thailand|Thailand]].

The ''samphor'' is made by hollowing out a single block of wood into a barrel shape.<ref name=angelfire/>  Both ends are covered with calfskin, tightened by strips of leather or rattan.<ref name=angelfire/>  One head of the drum is larger than the other to allow differing tones.<ref name=angelfire/>  Traditionally, the maker "tunes" each head by applying a circle of paste made of rice and ashes (from a palm); however a new resin paste is available today.<ref name=unesco/><ref name=angelfire/> The pitch to which the skin head is tuned becomes lower with a thicker layer of ash.<ref name=angelfire/>

The drummer makes use of four distinct strokes: an open and closed stroke for each head.
Each of these four sounds has a [[Cambodia]]n name: 	
:Open stroke, small head (ting) 	
:Closed stroke, small head (tip) 
:Open stroke, large head (theung) 	
:Closed stroke, large head (tup)

==See also==
*[[Music of Cambodia]]
*[[Kendang]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGZ2bkPW5VU Video showing modern performance of "Apsara dance" music, with Pin harp, samphor drum (on table) and skor thom drums (on floor).]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060903220150/https://research.umbc.edu/eol/cambodia/sampho.htm Sampo at UMBC.edu. Photo of Master musician, Sum Tath.]
{{Cambodian musical instruments}}

[[Category:Hand drums]]


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