A basic tool in West Java Gamelan and made of
This time, an important instrument in West Javanese gamelan and made of bamboo will be discussed . Before the emergence of modern musical instruments in Indonesia, each region had its own traditional musical instruments. Each traditional musical instrument has its own uniqueness, different ways of playing and history, so it is very interesting.
West Java is one of the regions that has many regional musical instruments and is preserved to this day. When we talk about traditional musical instruments from West Java, surely many of us think of angklung. It is undeniable that the angklung is the most popular musical instrument.
But did you know that there are still many traditional West Javanese musical instruments that are still preserved today? All traditional musical instruments must be made of natural materials such as wood, bamboo, copper and so on. Each use of materials inevitably gives the produced sound a different effect.
That’s why we’ll be continuing to review gamelan in West Java, both made of bamboo, wood, and copper. Before we go any further, it is good to know in general what gamelan is and how the history of its development in West Java.
Seznamte se s West Java Gamelan
An important tool in West Javanese gamelan and made of what material can be a question for many people. But it is good if we first learn what West Javanese gamelan is known as degung. Degung is a traditional music ensemble consisting of several instruments.
In general, gamelan consists of xylophone, kulanter, kendang, rebab, gong, flute degung, xylophone, bonang, panerus, lyre, jengglong and saron. Each of these musical instruments produces different sounds or sounds, so it can become a harmonic melody as a characteristic of traditional music or songs.
Each gamelan has its own characteristics, such as a more dynamic tempo for Balinese gamelan, a slower tempo for Javanese gamelan, and West Javanese gamelan, which is synonymous with the sounds of mendayu-day from rebab and flute. Both are important instruments in West Java’s gamelan and are made of natural materials.
According to history, the word Degung comes from the word Ratu-agung or Tumenggung, because at that time officials really liked gamelan music, for example, Regent Bandungu R.A.A. Wiranatakusuma. In addition, there are other theories that deal with the origin of the term degung, such as something great and honorable.
History of Gamelan in West Java
The history of the development of important instruments in West Javanese gamelan and made of natural materials will also be discussed in this article. It is estimated that in the late 18th or early 19th century, Sundanish gamelan began to develop, with 15 gamelan devices that were introduced and already spread throughout Java.
Of the 15 gamelan devices, West Java has 5 gamelan devices. Unfortunately, there is no definitive information about when gamelan entered West Java, but it is recorded that gamelan entered the Sundan country around the 16th century according to the Karesian manuscript of Sang Hyang Siksa Kanda Ng.
Changes to Sundan’s gamelan occurred during its development, such as the addition of vocals to a game that was banned by Regent Cianjur RT. Wiranatakusumah V., because he thought that it became less solemn, and the essence of silence disappeared. However, it was this change that caused West Java gamelan to have the features that are now.
Tanah Sunda has 3 types of gamelan, namely salendro or pelog gamelan, renteng gamelan and gamelan tilu typewriter, which have their respective uses. Gamelan salendro is often used in art, gamelan renteng known as basic gamelan and gamelan type tilu, which is usually used as background music.
Gamelan from bamboo
An important tool of West Javanese gamelan made of bamboo is the Calung gamelan. Just looking at it, we need to know that bamboo is the main material for the manufacture of this traditional gamelan tool. Bamboos will be arranged to form rows of notes that will later be played.
Celembung gamelan instruments are also made of bamboo, or rather bamboo leather. To produce sound, the celembung uses resonance in bamboo segments that have been arranged in a row according to the resulting tone. How to play it by hitting the celembungo with one hand while controlling the sound processing with the other.
Multi-tone angklung instruments are also made of bamboo and can produce double tones so they can be re-adapted to your needs. How to play is also very easy, by shaking until it makes a sound according to the tone. The sound appears due to the impact of bamboo and internal bamboo pieces, causing resonance.
Not only the three important instruments in West Javanese gamelan and made of bamboo above, there are many other instruments such as flute, arumba and karinding for men. Bamboo material is really one of the natural materials that is able to emit different kinds of sounds according to the techniques used.
Gamelan of metal
An important instrument of West Javanese gamelan and made of the first metal was the Saron. The gamelan tool, which enters the balungan family, uses a special bat made of wood. The way to play is to hit the metal blade with your right hand, while your left hand holds the previous blade.
Another tool is the demung, which looks almost similar to the saron. This family of balungan has 2 different types, namely pelog and slendro, which produce a harmonious sound. Demung has blades that tend to be wider but thinner than the saron. The tool for demung growers is larger.
You will also find an important instrument in the West Javanese gamelan, which is made of a metal called bonang. This musical instrument consists of several small gongs placed on a rope in a wooden frame. Each small gong is capable of producing a different tone when hit with a bat.
In addition, there are still some instruments made of metal in West Javanese gamelan, such as kenong, gong, xylophone, kempul and so on. Most instruments made of metal are musical instruments that are played by striking with a special bat.
Gamelan made of wood
An important instrument in West Javanese gamelan and made of wood is the first drum. This hand-whipped gamelan instrument has a function to set the rhythm in the gamelan music file. Several types of kendang are known in gamelan, from small kendang (ketipung) to large kendang.
Another tool is the rebab, although it used to be often made of copper, but now there are many rebabs made of wood with a shape resembling a crossbow. The way to play it is to run the strings, just like when you play a modern instrument, specifically the violin, by running over the strings with a special instrument.
In addition, there is another gamelan instrument called the siter, a musical instrument that is played by plucking. Until now, this gamelan instrument is rarely played, although the sound is no less interesting than that of other stringed instruments. This is because this musical instrument has similarities with traditional Indian musical instruments.
There are still many important tools in West Javanese gamelan, but some of the above tools are the most popular. For those of you who are interested in Sundan gamelan, it is important to familiarize yourself with the important instruments in West Javanese gamelan and made from bamboo above.