The đàn bầu (pronounced [ɗǎn ɓə̌w]; đàn độc huyền or độc huyền cầm, 獨絃琴) is a Vietnamese monochord, or one-string guitar. While the earliest written records of the dan bau date its origin to 1770, many scholars^[who?] estimate its age to be up to one thousand years older than that. A popular legend of its beginning tells of a blind woman playing it in the market to earn a living for her family while her husband was at war. Whether this tale is based in fact or not, it remains true that the dan bau has historically been played by blind musicians. Until recent times, its soft volume limited the musical contexts in which it could be used. The dan bau, played solo, is central to Vietnamese folk music, a genre still popular today in the country. Its other traditional application is as an accompaniment to poetry readings. With the invention of the magnetic pickup, the usage of the dan bau spread to ensembles and also to contemporary Asian pop and rock music. Now, electronics designed for the electric guitar are sometimes employed with the dan bau to further expand its tonal palate.

Thanh Tùng (born 15 September 1948) is a Vietnamese pop music composer and songwriter. He was born in Gò Vấp, Saigon but moved to Hanoi at age 6.

Thanh Tùng graduated from the Pyongyang Conservatory in 1971 and worked for Voice of Vietnam from 1971 to 1975. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, he returned to Sài Gòn, now Hồ Chí Minh City, and contributed to the establishment of Ho Chi Minh City Television's orchestra. He also worked as conductor and art manager of Bông Sen (Lotus) music company. He works now for Hồ Chí Minh City Association of Musicians.

Thanh Tùng composed his first pop song, Cây sầu riêng trổ bông, in 1975. Since then, he has written over 200 songs. His songs are very popular among Vietnamese young people, for example Hát với chú ve con, Hoàng hôn màu lá, Chuyện tình của biển, Lời tỏ tình của mùa xuân, Ngôi sao cô đơn, Câu chuyện nhỏ của tôi, Hoa tím ngoài sân, Em và tôi, Phố biển, Mưa ngâu, Lối cũ ta về... The song Một mình has a chorus which resembles that of a Russian folk song.