Bali Traditional Instruments

The majestic gongs of Indonesia, and the technology for making them, form a central part of the archipelago's spiritual and cultural heritage. Particularly beautiful ones are prized as heirlooms, and are often thought to be the locus for strong magical and supernatural powers. In gamelans the gongs preside over the music like royalty at court, or like the, heart over the mind and spirit.
Gongs used in Bali range in size from tiny high-pitched ones to enormous ones of 90 centimeters in diameter or mom. With minor exceptions all are struck on the raised boss that protrudes from the middle of the gong's front surface; as with genders the deem-toned ones require padded, mallets. The smaller ones are hit with sticks wound with string for cushioning Gongs aren’t used or tuned in pairs the way keyed instruments are; the sound usually pulsates enough on its own to blend in well with the beating of the metallophones.
The most important function of the gongs in gamelan music is to mark structural points in a composition. The number of gongs employed for this purpose depends on the ensemble. Gong kebyar uses one or two gong ageng (the largest and deepest) for the beginnings and endings of melodies and other strong accents. If two, they are used in alternation and never together. Other divisions are the responsibility of the medium-sized kempur, the small, chiming kemong, and the nearly ever-present kempli, whose clear, dry sound raps out the steady beat on which all musicians depend when the rhythms get tricky. Other types of gamelans make use of some of these gongs, plus others like the tiny kelenang, the flat bossed kajar and bebende, or a resonant version of the kempli called tawa-tawa.
Sets of 8 to 14 small gongs, arranged in ascending order of pitch and balanced on taut cords strung along a long wooden frame, are used in a melodic role. When such a set is played by a soloist it is called a trompong, when played by four people (each commandeering only a few of the gongs) it is called reyong.
The former is known for its sophisticated melodic style and is usually associated with older ceremonial music. The reyong, mainly a 20th century development, is known for its dizzying ornamentations and 8-note brassy chords, formed by having each of the four players strike a gong with each hand. An older version of the reyong, in the gamelan gong gde, requires only four gongs and two players.
No survey of bronze instruments would be complete without mention of the ubiquitous cymbals called cengceng. The enormous cengceng kopyak come in pairs and are similar to Western crash cymbals in manner of sound production. They are played in groups of at least four pairs, most often in ceremonial and processional gamelans. Most cengceng, though, are smaller and come in sets of six or more. All but two are set on a wooden base and struck by the unmounted ones, which are held by the player. The rapid-fire rhythms that result are an essential component of most any gamelan performance.

	GONG

	The majestic gongs of Indonesia, and the technology for making them, form a central part of the archipelago's spiritual and cultural heritage. Particularly beautiful ones are prized as heirlooms, and are often thought to be the locus for strong magical and supernatural powers. In gamelans the gongs preside over the music like royalty at court, or like the, heart over the mind and spirit. Gongs used in Bali range in size from tiny high-pitched ones to enormous ones of 90 centimeters in diameter or mom. With minor exceptions all are struck on the raised boss that protrudes from the middle of the gong's front surface; as with genders the deem-toned ones require padded, mallets. The smaller ones are hit with sticks wound with string for cushioning Gongs aren’t used or tuned in pairs the way keyed instruments are; the sound usually pulsates enough on its own to blend in well with the beating of the metallophones. The most important function of the gongs in gamelan music is to mark structural points in a composition. The number of gongs employed for this purpose depends on the ensemble. Gong kebyar uses one or two gong ageng (the largest and deepest) for the beginnings and endings of melodies and other strong accents. If two, they are used in alternation and never together. Other divisions are the responsibility of the medium-sized kempur, the small, chiming kemong, and the nearly ever-present kempli, whose clear, dry sound raps out the steady beat on which all musicians depend when the rhythms get tricky. Other types of gamelans make use of some of these gongs, plus others like the tiny kelenang, the flat bossed kajar and bebende, or a resonant version of the kempli called tawa-tawa. Sets of 8 to 14 small gongs, arranged in ascending order of pitch and balanced on taut cords strung along a long wooden frame, are used in a melodic role. When such a set is played by a soloist it is called a trompong, when played by four people (each commandeering only a few of the gongs) it is called reyong. The former is known for its sophisticated melodic style and is usually associated with older ceremonial music. The reyong, mainly a 20th century development, is known for its dizzying ornamentations and 8-note brassy chords, formed by having each of the four players strike a gong with each hand. An older version of the reyong, in the gamelan gong gde, requires only four gongs and two players. No survey of bronze instruments would be complete without mention of the ubiquitous cymbals called cengceng. The enormous cengceng kopyak come in pairs and are similar to Western crash cymbals in manner of sound production. They are played in groups of at least four pairs, most often in ceremonial and processional gamelans. Most cengceng, though, are smaller and come in sets of six or more. All but two are set on a wooden base and struck by the unmounted ones, which are held by the player. The rapid-fire rhythms that result are an essential component of most any gamelan performance.

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