The ranat ek (Thai: ระนาดเอก, pronounced [ranâːt ʔèːk], "also xylophone") is a Thai musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator and struck by two mallets.There is another similar Thai xylophone that has a different kind of wooden bar, called “ranat thum”.After the instrument makers gained some experience and knowledge, the krap were made in a series of sizes with a track to hold them together making the tone clearer.To make them into a series, a heavy string was threaded through holes made near the ends of the krap.At first the keys of ranat were made of two kinds of bamboo, Dendrocalamus Nees (Dendrocalamus Nees; Thai: ไผ่ตง; phai tong), and Indian Timber Bamboo (Bambusa tulda; Thai: ไผ่บง; phai bong).
Sound sample: seven-note scale played on the
Ranat ek