Lahu small sanxian can be made separately from the piano box, and then loaded into the headstock and the piano rod. It consists of a sound box, a headstock, a piano rod, a peg, a bridge and strings.

The shape of the small sanxian of the Lahu nationality is relatively unique. It is not only quite different from the small sanxian of the Han nationality, but also significantly different from the small sanxian of other ethnic groups in Yunnan, but it is similar to the sanxian of the Zhuang people in Guangxi (only the piano box is not cylindrical), The body is small and exquisite.

It is mostly made of a whole piece of pear wood, fruit wood or other hard miscellaneous wood. Locally, it is made of glutinous pear wood or tea wood, and the sound quality of tea wood is the best.

Sound box (drums)
It is flat and round, with square holes on the top and bottom of the frame for mounting the piano rod. The front is covered with gecko skin, sheepskin, snake skin or python skin, and fixed with bamboo nails. The back is made of wood and hollowed out of various ethnic groups. Patterned sound window.

piano case
The diameter is 8 cm to 12 cm and the thickness is 4 cm to 8 cm, which is smaller than the general three strings, so it can make the pronunciation firm and crisp. The headstock is in the shape of a flat shovel, the upper part is wider, and the top is curved in an arc shape toward the back. The carving is decorated with patterns, and the strings are pierced through the string holes below.

headstock
There are three short and thick hardwood pegs on both sides, and the pivots are two on the left and one on the right, which is also significantly different from the other three strings.

piano bar
It is short and wide, in the shape of a semi-cylindrical body, with a metal mountain pass above or a metal sheet embedded in the mountain pass.

A piece of iron rod is placed in the center of the leather surface of the piano case as a bridge, and an old copper coin, silver dollar or a thin iron sheet is placed under it. Zhang uses three steel strings with the same diameter. The Lahu small sanxian is finely made, and patterns are generally carved on the headstock, string bank and sound window. The small sanxian uses metal mounts, bridges, and steel strings of the same thickness, giving it a unique tone.