Gamelan Flashcards
Where does Gamelan originate from?
Central Java, Bali and West Java
Where/when are Gamelans played?
Gamelan music is played at celebrations (birth, marriage and death) and wayang kulit (shadow-puppet play) events. It also accompanies dance, drama and poetry performances.
Describe the Kendhang
The Kendhang is made of wood shaped into a tapering cylinder and hollow out the middle. It is a double-headed drum with 2 leather heads laced with a barrel-shaped modern frame
How is the Kendhang played?
The Kendhang is played with 2 bare hands or a stick in the right hand and bare on the left.
Describe the Bonang
The Bonang is made up of 10, 12 or 14 kettle gongs resting horizontally in 2 horizontal rows on a wooden frame.
How is the Bonang played?
The Bonang is played with 2 padded stick beaters.
Describe the Gong Ageng
The Gong Ageng is the largest hanging Gong. It is suspended vertically on a wooden frame and is close to 1 meter in diameter. There are 1-2 Gong Agengs in the Gamelan. It is used to mark the end of a cycle.
How is the Gong Ageng played?
The Gong Ageng is played with a round padded mallet.
Describe the Kethuk
The Kethuk is a kettle gong with a flat surface around the central boss.
How is the Kethuk played?
The Kethuk is played with a padded stick beater.
Descrube the Saron
The Saron is made of 6-7 thick metal keys resting over a through resonator.
What is different in the way the Saron Barung and the Saron Panerus is played?
The Saron Barung is struck with a wooden mallet then damped with fingers while the Saron Panerus is struck with a water buffalo horn mallet then damped with fingers.
Describe the Gender Barung
The Gender Barung is made of thirteen or fourteen thick metal keys, suspended over cylindrical resonators.
How is the Gender Barung played?
The Gender Barung is played with 2 padded disc mallets.
Describe the Gender Palembung
The Gender Palembung is made of 7-7 thick metal keys suspended by strings over cylindrical resonators made of bamboo or metal
How is the Gender Palembung played?
The Gender Palembung is played with 1 padded disc mallet.
Describe the Rebab
The Rebab is a 2 string spiked fiddle. It has a wide wooden bridge and no fingerboard. It has a wooden sound box with fine stretched skin.
How is the rebab played?
The rebab is played with a bow. The player sits cross-legged on the floor and stands the Rebab in front of him.
Describe the Suling
The Suling is a end blown bamboo flue. It comes in various sizes
How is the Suling played?
The Suling is held vertically when blown.
Describe the Celempung
The Celempung is a zither with 4 legs. It has 20-26 metal strings in double courses.
How is the Celepung played?
The Celempung is plucked with fingernails.
Describe the Gambang
The Gambang is a rectangular xylophone with a bo resonator. It has 20 long rectangular teakwood bars
How is the Gambang played?
The Gambang is played in parallel octaves with 2 flexible mallets with disc-shaped ends wrapped in felt.
