Nam ai, which can be called Ai giang nam, is a basic melody in the Ca Huế repertoire. According to legend, King Nguyễn Phúc Chu, who was the Minh King in the Nguyễn dynasty (1691-1725), composed Ai giang nam, which is the forerunner of Nam ai. It can be concluded that the Nam ai melody was born in the eighteenth century. The Nam ai melody is played with slow tempo and has a melancholy nuance. As a result, it was not allowed to be performed in the court, and it is sometimes used in sacrifice ceremonies or funerals.

Thập thủ liên hoàn is a medley including ten continuously played musical pieces. It was called Mười bản Ngự or Mười bản tấu after it was performed in ceremonies, parties, or reception ceremonies of royal emissaries in the court. Furthermore, it can be called Mười bản Tàu. The ten musical pieces in this medley are played uninterruptedly in the following order: + Phẩm tuyết + Nguyên tiêu + Hồ quảng + Liên hoàn + Bình bán hay Bình bản + Tây mai + Kim tiền + Xuân phong + Long hổ + Tẩu mã This medley is performed from a slow tempo to aquick tempo, from adagio to animated and ends with the Tẩu mã musical piece, which is the climax of this work. At present, not all ten musical pieces in the medley are performed. Instead, only two pieces—Phẩm tuyết and Nguyên tiêu—or only one piece from this medley and one from other medley, Lưu thủy-Kim tiền, are performed.

While Thập thủ liên hoàn is the medley with ten musical pieces, taken from Ca Huế by musical mandarins to be performed in the court, Long ngâm is contrary. It originates from royal music and then followed Ca Huế to spread in common communities. Long ngâm has a solemn nuance but little sympathy. It has the integration between sorrowfulness and happiness.

It is a typical Ca Huế composition. It was composed by King Tự Đức (1848-1883) of the Nguyễn dynasty, based on a Quan họ song, called Khi tương phùng khi tương ngộ, to praise the scenery in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Some people suppose that the lyrics praise the four kings of the Nguyễn dynasty—Gia Long, Minh Mạng, Triệu Trị, and Tự Đức. Tứ đại cảnh belongs to Nam tune, dựng nuance with opulent and sorrowful nuances, complaints, and self-blame.

Cing kram means bamboo gong. It is an idiophonic instrument, striking branch. Cing kram consists of two parts: a bamboo section and a resonator made of a large bamboo piece. Each Cing kram produces a pitch that corresponds to that of a gong in a bronze gong set of the Ê đê people. The five-tone musical scale of Cing kram set is equivalent to that of the bronze gong set, arranged from low to high under the names of grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and children. The instrument has a clear sound and can be played at a quick tempo, creating a joyful and bustling atmosphere. When played in an ensemble, many Cing kram are used together, with each player in charge of playing one section. The repertoire of the Cing kram set is the same as that of the bronze gong set. T he player sits in column on the Kpa couch in the communal house. The bamboo section is put on the left hand’s palm. Under each bamboo section is one resonator, which is put upright between the player’s thighs so that one head of the resonator is in close contact with the bamboo section. The right hand of the player holds a stick to strike the bamboo section. When playing, the player’s lefthand thumb is used to keep the instrument section steady and can cover or open the head of the bamboo section to adjust the vibrato

This song belongs to the phase of festive singing (performed after the hát cách), alternating between singers and instrumentalists. Singing, accompanied with dancing to demonstrate some story, creates a joyful atmosphere.

Nhịp đuổi is one of the melodies in a Chèo play, called “Trấn thủ lưu đồn”. This melody was performed through the solo of the nhị two-string fiddle by Meritorious Chèo artist Minh Nhương,a Chèo troupe artist of Thái Bình province who was born in Khuốt village.Thái Bình is the sole place preserving the ancient folk Chèo at community houses.

Đò đưa is one of a few folk songs that was influenced by Ca trù and then became a Ca trù song for entertainment. A late Ca trù folk artist, Đinh Thị Bản, said: “This is a favourite song, sung when mandarins were on a boat on Hồ Tây Lake in Hanoi in the past”.