Khmer music is part of Cambodian music and is derived from ancient traditions dating back to the era of the Khmer Empire, which is home to the Khmer people, the ethnic group in Cambodia.  Cambodia has other music pertaining to different ethnic groups.  But Khmer has, over a period of time, become one of the most important aspects of the culture of Cambodia.

No religious temple celebration or traditional ceremony like a wedding is considered complete without Khmer music.  Even the ancient temples of Angkor, which are an archeological treasure, reveal this aspect of Cambodian culture through the numerous musical instruments depicted on the walls.

During the Angkor period, when the Khmer civilization was at its peak, the walls of the great temples were carved with beautiful celestial dancers complete with their musical instruments.  The music ensembles are similar to the ensembles performing today, such as the pinn – an angular harp; skor yol – suspended barrel drums; and chhing – small cymbals.  As a testimony to the ancient tradition, these Khmer musical ensembles are found in every Cambodian village today.

Khmer music is predominantly based on the five-tone or pentatonic scale. When compared to the Western music, it may seem to lack harmony.  One musician’s xylophone will most likely give out a different tune from the others. Each musician imposes their very own tune in the ensemble. All musicians in the ensemble have a single melody in their minds that is not actually played by any single musician.  It is like they just have the road map leading to a common destination.  The drummer usually regulates the ensemble’s pace.

Now there is a modern music ensemble that uses Western instruments to play traditional Khmer music, called modern mohori or mohori samai, which uses the flute, guitar, organ, mandolin, violin, accordion, banjo and violoncello.  With this ensemble, the only traditional musical instrument that is continued to be used is the thaunrumanea drums.

In Cambodian tradition, music has always been passed on to the student from the teacher from memory.  Notation of the musical pieces is a fairly recent phenomenon. Khmer music has a mythical feeling about it, just like the Khmer people.