Transmission of Burmese Classical Music

Abstract

This thesis is about learning to understand and to play Burmese music, and more generally it reflects on issues related to cross-cultural learning of music, and cross-cultural study and research about music. In the thesis, I also compare my own experience to the way Burmese music is learned by Burmese as well as my experience of learning the piano. Through learning to play the saung (Burmese harp) in Singapore and hsaing waing (Burmese orchestra) in Yangon, I reflect on issues concerning the use of Western musicological concepts in studying Burmese music, specifically the use of transcription. I will provide a detailed discussion of the modes and tunings, genres, themes and origins of Burmese classical repertoire. I also look into the different modes of transmission of Burmese classical music b