Remove ads
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]
 A gamelan degung player | |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Sundanese |
| Developed | Indonesia (West Java) |
| More articles or information | |
| Gamelan | |
|---|---|
| Country | Indonesia |
| Reference | 01607 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2021 (16th session) |
| List | Representative |
| Degung, Gambang, Gender Wayang, Gong gede, Gong kebyar, Jegog, Joged bumbung, Salendro, Selunding, Semar pegulingan, Surakarta | |
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 |
Remove ads
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.
Remove ads
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
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads