One musical instrument that is common to almost every tribe in the area is the Jew's harp. This small reed instrument that is simultaneously plucked and hummed is often used in courtship (the sound is soft enough that the girl has to be close to the boy to hear it). The instrument is also used as a surrogate voice when whiling away lonely evenings at the rice field hut, communicating with gods or ancestors, or, in the case of this Karen man, just plain jammin'!