Myanmar (formerly Burma) is an ethnically diverse Southeast Asian nation comprised of over 135 different tribes. Most residents follow Buddhism; however Christianity, Islam, and animism also co-exist peacefully within its borders.
Religious leaders play an influential role in society, frequently appearing alongside military leaders on state media channels to preach to troops.
History
People are amazed to witness YouTube stars playing amazing guitar riffs on YouTube, yet many may not realize this style has been around for centuries – indeed, the guitar is one of the oldest string instruments ever known! Although its exact source remains unknown, some believe its first kithara may have been made out of tortoiseshell and played by Hermes himself!
History of Guitar Tuning There have been various scordatura tunings utilized throughout its history of use on the guitar. Campion used eight distinct tunings in his book about it; he believed they were more accurate than standard violin tuning used by violinists and other classical musicians.
The Saung Gauk (arched harp) has 14 chords, although sometimes expanded to 16 for special events. Dating back over 5000 years of musical history, its likely source may have been Mesopotamia and moved across India and Southeast Asia before reaching Burma before socialism banned Western music and pop songs from being performed publicly.
Religion
Most Burmese practice Theravada Buddhism, while there is also a small but growing percentage who are Muslim or Christian – most Christians come from ethnic minority groups in Kachin, Chin and Karen states.
Theravada Buddhism incorporates a Brahmanically derived cosmology that postulates the existence of various classes of spiritural beings without specifying their natures or how to manage them; as a result, Burma witnesses close links between Buddhist spirit cults and pre-Buddhist animism among tribal populations outside its purview.
This combination of Buddhist doctrine and local animism manifests itself in local folk religion. For instance, Bamars in rural areas profess belief in household guardian nats – particularly Mahagiri – that protect their homes, placing a shrine dedicated to him on their main southwest pillar (called on-daw). While this may appear as syncretism to some, such beings are canonically sanctioned nats that occupy higher realms of Buddhahood.
Ethnic groups
Burma officially recognizes 135 ethnic groups, but Bamar Burmese are by far the majority. From Moken’sea gypsies’ living on the seashore to tattooed women of Chin State and head-hunters in Naga territory – Burma offers incredible cultural diversity.
Religious identity has often been used to unite non-Bamar groups under a shared cause, such as opposing foreign-influenced Islam during the 2021 coup. Monastic activism movements such as 969 and MaBaTha backed by military officials have spread Islamophobic narratives that fuel episodes of violence against Muslims (including Rohingya genocide) as well as exclusionary legislation.
However, more nuanced analyses of the country’s religious and cultural diversity should be encouraged. Instead of banning “extreme” Buddhist nationalist positions ineffectively, government should address underlying causes and reframing debate on Buddhism’s role in society and politics; celebrate and preserve heritage rather than manipulate for political gain.
Language
As a new guitarist, learning guitar chords is one of the first steps toward playing your favorite songs. But understanding this language may prove challenging: chords are combinations of notes played across two or more strings that must be strung together to produce full sound; single notes serve only as individual pitches while chords must be heard to comprehend their meaning.
Guitar tabs are a form of musical notation that illustrates what chord to play and how. Additionally, they indicate which frets to finger for that chord’s upstrokes; downstrokes are marked with an upside-down V.
Once you’ve located Myanmar Song Lyrics & Chords app on Google Play, tap “Install.” A popup window will ask for permissions before accepting. Your download will start and a notification will notify you once complete.