The ÃÂàn lục huyá»Ân cầm (chữ Hán: å½Âå ÂçµÂç´) (literally "lute with six strings"), or colloquially ÃÂàn ghi-ta phÃÂm lõm (literally ghi-ta "guitar," + phÃÂm "fret", + lõm "sunken"), is a scalloped Vietnamese adaptation of the French guitar.
The guitar, or ghi-ta, was adopted by Vietnamese musicians during the 19th Century. However, to adapt a western guitar to the deep pressing on the strings necessary for Vietnamese music, the fingerboard - the wood of the neck between the frets - was scooped out to ease the pressing. This carving out of the fingerboard is what gives the distinctive scalloped appearance to the six-string ÃÂàn lục huyá»Ân cầm. This form of guitar is commonly used in cải lðáng or "Southern Reformed Theater." In modern times, it has been included in Chầu vÃÂn music. Traditionally, acoustic guitars are used, but electric guitars are increasingly popular in modern day.
Some guitarists use artificial harmonics to imitate the sound of ÃÂàn bầu.