Tran Quang Hai has composed ten new pieces for the sixteen string zither, dan tranh. He studied at the Music School in Saigon before going to France in 1961 where he studied the theory and practice of music with his father, Tran Van Khe. He plays fifteen instruments and since 1966 has given over 2,500 concerts in 45 countries. The dan tranh zither came into existence towards the beginning of the 13th century and measures about 39 inches by 8 inches at the broad end with a convex resonator. The sixteen strings are stretched along a rounded wooden sound board made of oleococca wood and are divided into two sections by a series of a movable wooden uhan. At the end, the strings are wound around sixteen wooden or plastic pegs. The base of the instrument is flat with three holes. In Vietnam, instruments are often hung on the walls for decoration. For playing, the dan tranh is placed on the table, on the ground or else it rests aslant across the musician's knees.