Playing along
Other instruments
Playing along
This page has been formatted for phones, there are more options available on larger devices
If you’ve already tried the balungan page then why not try some other instruments?
The Saron Panerus is a balungan instrument.
It’s also called a Peking
It is in this section as it plays different patterns
In this type of piece, the Saron Panerus plays an echo of the balungan
The bold notes are balungan, the grey notes are the echo
It sounds like this
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
Click or tap the gong/kempul image
From the menu that appears, select ‘Play’
It should now look like this
There are 3 types of instrument in a gong/kempul rack
Each instrument has it’s own symbol
In standard notation they are marked like this
Have a listen to how they fit with the balungan
The kempul plays a 6 when the balungan plays 2. It plays a 5 when there is a 5
Please turn on the note guide in the App to find them
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
Next we’ll try the kenong and kethuk
Click or tap the kenong/kethuk image.
From the menu that appears, select ‘Play’
It should now look like this
There are 3 types of instrument in a kenong rack
6 kenong with kethuk and kempyang
Each instrument has it’s own symbol
In standard notation they are marked like this
*There is no kempyang in this style of pice
Have a listen to how they fit with the balungan
The kenong plays a 3 when the balungan plays 3. It plays a 6 when there is a 1 or 6
Please turn on the note guide in the App to find them
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
The Bonang Barung has different playing styles depending on the type of the piece or the speed it is played.
Once you have opened it you will see it has 2 rows of notes
It may help you to spend some time exploring the instrument to get used to it’s layout
If you have had any experience in playing instruments like a xylophone or a piano it may seem that the notes are in an unusual order
You may have noticed that notes are paired opposite each other
This makes it easier to play 2 notes together as you will see in the next section
In a piece like Kandhang Bubrah the Bonang Barung plays a technique named ‘Gembyang’
This means the player uses pairs of the same note played together e.g. both the 3s
Most commonly it uses the notes indicated with the white and grey arrows in this picture
In Kandhang Bubrah the Bonang Barung plays the same notes as the kenong
It plays ahead of the Balungan and Kenong, leading the players by sending a musical cue to where the balungan notes are going
It plays a pair of 3s (gembyang 3) to lead the group to the 3 (in red) and then a pair of 6s (gembyang 6) to lead the group to the 6 (in red)
Have a listen to how it fits with the balungan
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
The Bonang Panerus plays the same notes as the Bonang Barung
It plays ahead of the Balungan and Kenong, leading the players by sending a musical cue to where the balungan notes are going
It plays a pair of 3s (gembyang 3) to lead the group to the 3 (in red) and then a pair of 6s (gembyang 6) to lead the group to the 6 (in red)
It has a different rhythm
Have a listen to how it fits with the balungan
If you’ve already tried the balungan page then why not try some other instruments?
The Saron Panerus is a balungan instrument.
It is in this section as it plays different patterns
In this type of piece, the Saron Panerus plays an echo of the balungan
The bold notes are balungan, the grey notes are the echo
It sounds like this
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
In the App click or tap the gong/kempul image and select play
It should now look like this
There are 3 types of instrument in a gong/kempul rack
Each instrument has it’s own symbol
In standard notation they are marked like this
Have a listen to how they fit with the balungan
The kempul plays a 6 when the balungan plays 2
It plays a 5 when there is a 5
Please turn on the note guide in the App to find them
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
In the App click or tap the kenong/kethuk image and select play
It should now look like this
There are 3 types of instrument in a kenong rack
6 kenong with kethuk and kempyang
Each instrument has it’s own symbol
In standard notation they are marked like this
*There is no kempyang in this style of pice
Have a listen to how they fit with the balungan
The kenong plays a 3 when the balungan plays 3.
It plays a 6 when there is a 1 or 6
Please turn on the note guide in the App to find them
The Bonang Barung has its own set of rules which can be different depending on the style of the piece or the speed it is played
Once you have opened it you will see it has 2 rows of notes
It may help you to spend some time exploring the instrument to get used to it’s layout
If you have had any experience in playing instruments like a xylophone or a piano it may seem that the notes are in an unusual order
You may have noticed that notes are paired opposite each other
This makes it easier to play 2 notes together as you will see in the next section
In a piece like Kandhang Bubrah the Bonang Barung plays a technique named Gembyang
This means the player uses pairs of the same note played together e.g. both the 3s
Most commonly it uses the notes indicated with the white and grey arrows in this picture
In Kandhang Bubrah the Bonang Barung plays the same notes as the kenong
It plays ahead of the Balungan and Kenong, leading the players by sending a musical cue to where the balungan notes are going
It plays a pair of 3s (gembyang 3) to lead the group to the 3 (in red) and then a pair of 6s (gembyang 6) to lead the group to the 6 (in red)
Have a listen to how it fits with the balungan
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the accompaniment version
This section is still being built
Accompaniment links