Gamelan degung is a form of Sundanese musical ensemble that uses a subset of modified gamelan instruments with a particular mode of degung scale. The instruments are manufactured under local conditions in towns in West Java such as Bogor and Bandung.[1] Degung music is often played at public gatherings in West Java, such as at local elections, as well as many other events.[2] There is international interest in degung as well among communities in other countries interested in Indonesian and gamelan music.[3]
Gamelan degung also playable in madenda scale, which is included in the set as a complementary tone, usually marked as a -3/ni tone in the set. Playing gamelan degung in this scale requires the substitution of the 3/na metal bars into -3/ni tones on all instruments.
| Degung | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Madenda | 5 | 4 | -3 | 2 | 1 | |
| reading | la | ti | na | ni | mi | da |
Instruments
The instrumentation of gamelan degung is quite flexible. It may include:
- Bonang/kolènang: two rows of seven small bulbous gongs. It differs from its Javanese counterpart in that the rows are each placed on either side of the player.
- saron/peking: a high-pitched bronze metallophone with fourteen keys. Usually, there are two sarons in a single set.
- panerus: another bronze metallophone, similar to the peking but pitched an octave lower.
- Jengglong: six bulbous gongs suspended from the same frame. Could be played like bonang, or hanged.
- goong ageung: a large gong.
- Pancer: a smaller gong, secondary gong.
- A set of kendang, consisting of one large (kendang indung) and two small double-sided drums (kulantér).
- Suling degung: a four-holed bamboo flute.
- Suling kawih: a six-holed bamboo flute, interchangeably used with suling degung
- Gambang: a wooden xylophone.
- Kacapi: a zither.
In classical degung, the bonang serves as a conductor for the whole ensemble. Except in certain modern compositions, it is rarely absent.
Gallery
-
Closeup of a bonang from gamelan degung -
Sundanese gamelan degung -
Sundanese students playing gamelan degung on the street -
Gamelan degung performed by Indra Swara in Mexico -
Gamelan degung instruments -
See also
References
- ^ Retno K. Djojo, "For the love of music", The Jakarta Post, 29 January 2010.
- ^ Theresia Sufa, "Sundanese music and dance liven election day in Bogor", The Jakarta Post, 26 October 2008.
- ^ Dewi Anggraeni, "Melbourne: Gamelan, elephants and 'Jackpot'", Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Jakarta Post, 22 February 2004.
| Theory |   | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genres & ensembles |
| ||||||||||
| Musicians | |||||||||||
| Instruments |
| ||||||||||
Recent Comments