In addition, the instrument was difficult to transport. Some khaen measuring three meters long can be seen at the National Museum in Bangkok. Khaen reeds are made from an alloy of copper and silver and are fitted into the pipe walls inside the hardwood wind chest. The traditional manner of making reeds is to hammer a small coin on a wooden anvil until it is paper thin and cut it to size on a cutting board made from an elephant thighbone. The pipes are sealed into the wind chest with a black substance similar to beeswax called kisoot, a waste-product from the soot insect.
Players also pinch off a small piece of kisoot to stop the drone pipes.
The Lao lack elaborate tombs such as the Chinese, which preserved not only bodies of famous people but also their artifacts, such as musical instruments. Transcription by Terry E. Miller. Serious players, however, can improve their technique by visiting khaen masters. In the past, the khaen was used in performances of Lao court music, which was similar to Siamese court music. Today, the normal function of the khaen is to accompany traditional mawlum and molam singing, but it is more and more used also in lam sing and pong lang.