‘Khen be’ consists of a pipe for blowing, a panpipe gourd and 14 bamboo pipes of different lengths, arranged into seven pairs and tied together to form a raft-like shape. There are usually three main melodies: the ‘bam’ melody with a gentle, deep sound, often accompanying story-telling songs and lullabies; the ‘xieng et’ melody often played as an accompaniment for men to sing and having a cheerful tune; and the "xieng thuon" melody with a melodious tune played as an accompaniment for couples when singing love songs.

In recent years, Yen Chau district has organised classes to teach blowing ‘khen be’, encouraging young people and teenagers to participate in learning to preserve the unique cultural identity of the Thai people.