When playing, place the drum on the right abdomen, the stem is horizontal to the chest, and the headstock is slightly inclined to the upper left.

The left hand holds the qin and presses the strings with the index finger, middle finger and ring finger, and the right index finger is tied with a bamboo pick to strum the strings.

The left hand does not use the fingertip muscles to touch the strings, but touches the strings with fingernails. This special method of pressing the strings is called "kneeling fingers", which can obtain a crisp and bright tone that other three-stringed instruments cannot match, and the reverberation is long. The tuning of the Lahu minor sanxian varies with the music played.

Often used as a soloist or to accompany folk songs and dances. It is deeply loved by the Lahu people, and it is an inseparable musical instrument in the social and love life of young men and women.