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Interesting Angklung

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Angklung is one of Indonesia's original music instruments, Angklung basic material consists of only a few pieces of bamboo, when we shakes, it can generate the tones.

Angklung can be played alone or with a group, and it will be very interesting if we play with few people (group), because it can make emotional closeness between the players.

Indonesia citizens must be familiar with Angklung, it cause Angklung is a traditional musical instrument developed in the Sundanese community in the western part of Java Island, Indonesia.

Angklung already listed as Masterpieces of the Cultural Heritage in UNESCO, since November 2010.

Daeng Udjo is one of the preserver of traditional music, he was the son of the legendary Indonesian angklung maestro, Mang Udjo.

From the Historical, angklung was an instrument that had religious ritual function. Where the base of function for invited dewi sri (rice goddess/prosperity).

And continuing my lens ( Indonesian musical instrument ), in this lens you will find more about Angklung, hope you like and enjoy read this lens.

History

Basically no one knows for exactly the history of Angklung began in use, but the strong suspicion, Angklung has been used in neolithic culture that developed in the Archipelago (Nusantara).

While based on the historical notes, angklung was recorded on Kingdom of Sunda in 12th century until the 16th century.

Angklung itself, based on the Sundanese people view, who live as agrarian people with the life from rice (pare) as a staple food. That's thing gave birth to the myth of confidence in the Goddess of rice (Dewi Sri) as a symbol of life - giving a Rice (sundanese said:hirup-hurip), as we mention before.

Baduy society in west java, applying angklung as a part of the ritual started planting rice. Angklung gubrag in Jasinga, Bogor, West Java, they still played it since more than 400 years ago. Angklung was created and played to entice Goddess sri down to earth so that the rice plants flourish.

while the type of bamboo which is used as a musical instrument is a black bamboo (Sundanese said: awi wulung) and white bamboo (sundanese said: awi temen).

In the Dutch colonial period, angklung music changed its function as a generating the spirit of nationalism.so at that time, Dutch government banned an angklung to played, except if it played by children or beggars who doesn't give any effect.

Daeng Soetigna the maestro of angklung legendary has managed to preserve and create the tone for the diatonic angklung, even his talents recognized by musicians from Australia Igor Hmel Nitsky in 1955.

How to make Angklung

First of all what you have to do is a process to chose a bamboo, as we mentioned before, angklung has its raw materials from bamboo. Where the bamboo that will be in use as a raw materials should be chosen based on the age, at least 4 years and not more than 6 years, cut in the dry season from 9 am until 3 pm.why we should cut in dry season, that's all about the water content contained in bamboo. So to get a good result and the maximum, we should do that in the dry season.

Next step, cut the base of bamboo, with a size of approximately 20-25 cm from ground level. then keep the bamboo for 1 week, to get minimum result of bamboo water contents

After we keep it for 1 week, next process bamboo should be separated from its branches. Then cut to a certain size range in accordance with the requirements in creating the tone notation.

After that, we can continue to other process, the next process are bamboo should be kept for about a year to prevent it from pests. But we can do another procedure to do that. there are two kind of procedure that we can do, a traditional or a modern procedure. where the ways of traditional procedure by soaking the bamboo in mud puddle, pond or river, also can be smoked in the fireplace (sundanese said :di unun). And anothr option with a modern procedure by using a specific chemical formula.

After that all process were done, now we can continue to begin make a parts of angklung, and the part of it are :

- The Voice Tubes: the most important part of angklung, it the voice tubes which produce intonation . tuning process makes the intonation.

- The frame : frame supports the voice tubes to stand inside the hollow space.

- the base : it functions as the frame of the voice tubes.

And the last step before angklung framed into a single unit, it can begin the process of tuning where the process of tuning the voice by increasing and decreasing the tone by striking voice. Also it is the process of increasing the tone by cutting its upper parts slightly, and decreasing the tone by shaping both voice laths with shaping knife.

How to play Angklung

To produce a beautifull melody as accompaniment a song with angklung.

First, we need to know is a unit of angklung is started from small units to large units, and then how to play or to use angklung.

Angklung played by shaking method and let's begin by holding angklung with a high position on the right, and a small are on the left, with a straight position, not tilted.

where the left hand on the knot above angklung and right hand holding the bottom of the angklung, position your left hand can hold downward or upward. Both hand are expected in a straight position.

Hand in charge of angklung to shaking is the right hand, and the left hand while holding the angklung should be not budge. the right hand movement is the direction right to left, and moves are done quickly from the wrist.

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New Guestbook Comments

  • naheedahsan Feb 4, 2012 @ 12:49 am | delete
    This instrument looks very interesting. good lens
  • mihgasper Jan 25, 2012 @ 5:20 am | delete
    This instrument looks very interesting. Can you provide your readers some sound? There are several modules with that option. Youtube maybe? I have a feeling it sounds something like harmonium, but maybe I am wrong?
  • domain19 Jan 25, 2012 @ 6:36 pm | delete
    :D Actually, you can find the youtube for this lens in my other lens (indonesia musical instrument), this lens just continues Indonesian musical instrument lens. :D by the way, thanks for your ask to add youtube in this lens. and i will adding it.
  • CruiseReady Jan 24, 2012 @ 6:31 am | delete
    Very interesting! I love learning about musical instruments.
  • goo2eyes Jan 22, 2012 @ 10:40 am | delete
    we have lots of bamboo plants in the philippines and the only musical instruments which we can make out of bamboos are bamboo pipe organs. the famous one is las pinas bamboo organ. maybe i should write about it.
  • domain19 Jan 22, 2012 @ 8:15 pm | delete
    :D i really love to read about that instrument... although at glance I already know a little, but i really love to know more about the instruments.... :D
  • LaraineRose Jan 22, 2012 @ 4:24 am | delete
    I would love to hear this instrument. Maybe you can find a YouTube for this lens.
    Very well done. I admire your persistence with our difficult English language.
    Angel blessed.
  • domain19 Jan 22, 2012 @ 8:16 pm | delete
    :D i really sorry if my English so worse... :D
  • Mujjen Jan 19, 2012 @ 8:55 am | delete
    Very interesting to learn about this instrument.
  • Tolovaj Jan 18, 2012 @ 10:55 am | delete
    Very interesting instrument, looks like country version of harmonium. I bet my neighbors would not be very happy if I make one of these at home;)
  • LornsA178 Jan 17, 2012 @ 7:43 pm | delete
    Reminds me of my country, we used bamboo too to make a musical instrument. Thanks for sharing.
  • Vallygems1 Jan 16, 2012 @ 10:32 pm | delete
    Very very interesting thank you
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domain19

Hallo and welcome to my squidoo. i'm domain19 as know as Donny in my real live.

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