Thekèn (Vietnamese:[kɛ̂n]) is an instrument used in traditional Vietnamese music. It has adouble reed and a conical wooden body. It produces a powerful and penetrating high-pitched sound, similar to the Chinesesuona, the Koreantaepyeongso, the ThaiPi, and the Persian/Indianshehnai. Its musical context resembles that of the oboes played by theTai peoples, who call it the "Pí Lè", and theMuong people, who call it the "Bi". The name "Kèn" is also used to informally refer toGourd mouth organs.

The best-known player of thekèn is the award-winning musician Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh (b. 1956), who is acknowledged as a "national treasure" in Vietnam, where he is known as "Khánh of the kèn."^[1]

• Kèn bầu - with a wooden bell carved in a gourd shape; comes in several sizes
• Kèn đám ma - with a metal bell; used for funerals in northern Vietnam

• lotusandlightning.com (A page with streaming audio samples of Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh playing the kèn)

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