Khim

For the Dwarf in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, see Khîm.

A standard Thai khim with two hammers

The khim (Thai: ขิม, Thai pronunciation: [kʰǐm]; Khmer: ឃឹម) is a hammered dulcimer from Thailand and Cambodia. It is made of wood and trapezoidal in shape, with brass strings that are laid across the instrument. There are 14 groups of strings on the khim, and each group has 3 strings. Overall, the khim has a total of 42 strings. It is played with two flexible bamboo sticks with soft leather at the tips to produce the soft tone. It is used as both a solo and ensemble instrument.

A boy playing a khim

The instrument was introduced to Thailand and Cambodia from China, where a similar (though, since the late 20th century, usually larger) instrument is called yangqin; the khim produces a significantly softer sound. Traditional khims have two bridges, though in the late 20th century some players began using larger instruments with more bridges.

The Australian-born musician and vocal artist Lisa Gerrard specialises in the use of a khim hammered dulcimer, featuring its music on several albums and performing with the instrument live on tour.

See also

• Hammered dulcimer
• Cimbalom
• Santur