Instrument World

The bonang has small gongs placed on cords that are strung through a wooden frame. The bonang is one of the elaborating instruments in the ensemble. It is used to play melodies that embellish the main structural melody of a piece.



A saron is an instrument with metal keys suspended over a trough resonator. The structural melody (balungan) is played on the saron. There are several saron-type instruments in the ensemble, including those that are used to play melodic parts in the high, middle, and low register

The ukulele is from Hawaiian: ?ukulele ['?uku'lele]; variantly spelled ukelele in the UK), sometimes abbreviated as the uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of a small guitar-like instrument brought to Hawai?i by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. (wikipedia)

Saron is one of gamelan instruments made from metal blades. It is placed on the hollow wood, the blade of the main tone scales, between 6-8

The Gambang looks like a metallophone instrument, however, its bars are made of wood rather than bronze. There used to be two types of Gambang, a Gambang with bronze bars and a Gambang with wooden bars. Bronze Gambang used to be found in the gamelan but nowadays it is not used anymore. So, 'Gambang" is now referred to a wooden bar Gambang.

The wood used for the Gambang must be very hard. A type of wood known as berlian is normally used to make Gambang's bars. The wooden case to support these bars is like the saron's, but it is much deeper and with thinner sides. The purpose of this case is to act as a resonator. Each bar is secured on top of the case by pins. The bars are from about 58cm to 29cm. The length of the bar becomes shorter as the pitch rises. Each Gambang has approximately 19 to 20 bars.

The player need two mallets to play on a Gambang. The mallets have very long handles, approximately 35cm. They are made of buffalo horn, and are very thin and flexible. At the end of the handle, there is a wooden disc surrounded by a felt ring.

The Gambang usually play the fastest part in the gamelan.

Read More: Javanese_Gamelan/counter-melody/gambang

Kendangs are smaller then a Bedug. There are usually three to four Kendangs in a gamelan. These drums are in different sizes, however, they are all of similar barrel shape. Both heads of each drum are covered with a skin, usually from goat or buffalo. Each drum has two different sizes of head, one is bigger then the other. The larger head, which produces the lower sounds, is usually placed to the player's right.

Kendangs are cradled in small wooden stands. Sometimes, the smallest drum, Kendang Ketipung is held in the lap of the drum player. The player uses his hands to play the drums. Usually the drums has a relatively easy part with a few strokes and uncomplicated rhythm.

The names of these drums from the largest to the smallest are: Kendang Gending, Kendang Wayangan, Kendang Ciblon, and Kendang Ketipung.

Read More:http: Gamelan/drums/kendang

Angklung is a musical instrument made out of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved so that they have a resonant pitch when struck. The two tubes are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held with one hand while the other hand shakes the instrument rapidly from side to side. This causes a rapidly repeating note to sound. Thus each of three or more angklung performers in an ensemble will play just one note and together complete melodies are produced. Angklung is popular throughout Southeast Asia, but originated from Indonesia (used and played by the Sundanese since the ancient times).

Gamelan, Indonesian orchestra based on families of tuned gongs, xylophones, and metallophones (a percussion instrument with bars of metal). Gamelans may also employ cymbals, drums, flutes, and fiddles. Originally court music with Hindustani influences, gamelans moved mainly to rural communities after the Dutch made Indonesia a colony in the 1800s. Gamelan music was played as an accompaniment to ceremonial occasions, dancing, and puppet theater.

The music is improvised and based on interlocking tonal and rhythmic patterns. Javanese gamelan music uses a seven-tone pelog scale, while Balinese prefers a five-tone slendro scale. The scale of gongs vary in precise pitch, but they incorporate matched pairs that deviate slightly in pitch. Gamelan music has inspired Western composers such as Claude Debussy, Colin McPhee, John Cage, Benjamin Britten, and Philip Glass.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006.