Definition

Terminology

Angklung is an instrument made from joints of a piece of bamboo. The use of angklung is
swayed and shaken by hand. This instrument has been known since a long time ago in some
places in Indonesia, especially in West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Bali. The word
Angklung was originated from Sundanese angkleung-angkleungan, that means the
movement of angklung player and the sound klung that comes from the instrument.

form left to right: melodic angklung 2 tubes, melodic angklung 3 tubes, major
accompaniment angklung & minor accompaniment angklung.
Etymology

Etymologically, angklung was taken from the word angka that means tone and lung that
means broken. So, angklung refers to the broken tone or incomplete tone.
Angklungs Philosophy

Based on Sundanese ancestor, humans life is symbolized like angklungs tube. The tube is
personified the human itself. Angklung is not an angklung if it consists of only one tube. It
symbolizes the human that cannot stand alone and describe that human should socialize with
others.
Besides that, the tube of angklung consists of large and small tube that symbolizes humans
growth. The small tube (on the left) is a humans description that has dreams and the effort to
become large (the large tube on the right). Both tubes mean human knows and understand about
her/his limits, and like the two tubes that play together so they produce harmony, humans live
together to create harmonization in society life
Parts of Angklung

Angklung consists of some parts:

1. Voice tube that consists of two tubes
a. The small tube lies on the left and,
b. The large tube lies on the right.
2. Ancak, that is angklungs skeleton, divided into some parts:
c. Jejer, part from ancak (angklungs skeleton)
d. Base tube (below part)
e. Palang Gantung as tube holder.

Character

About Bamboo

BAMBOO including the family Gramineae (grass) that gives meaning to many people, such as
wheat, and rice. Bamboo is cosmopolitan, which means that can live in hot and cold areas, in
swamps, cliffs, mountains, in the highlands and low, and have characteristics easily grow back
after a disaster, whether drought, fire or vandalism. Bamboo is an ancient plant that has become
the inhabitants of earth from 200,000,000 years ago (David Farrelly, 1938: 7).
Magic plants that grew the fastest in the world reached a height of 47.7 inches per 24 hours or
even 121 centimeters per 24 hours (Nagaoka, 1938:53).

Characteristics of Bamboo

Bamboo are flexible

Grow in upland areas and low, and group

Long leaves and buds breed

Up to age 3 years harvested

Easy to breed and grow faster than wood

Kind of Bamboo used to make Angklung

Gombong Bamboo (Gigantochloa Pseudoarundinacea (Steud.) Widjaja)

Black Bamboo or Awi Hideung (Gigantochloa Atroviolacea Widjaja)

Temen Bamboo or Awi Temen (Gigantochloa Atter (Hassk.) Kurz)

Tali Bamboo or Awi Tali (Gigantochloa Apus (J.A & J.H Schultes) Kurz)

The four kinds of bamboo are the best bamboo because they have better distribution of fibers
than other kind of bamboo, so they can produce good quality sound.
We have to know that besides unique, the instruments that made from bamboo have natural
weaknesses, such as:
1. The elasticity of bamboo/ the nature of deflation and expansion
The weather and climate can cause the change of tone that has been formed in angklung. The
tone can be higher if the bamboo deflates or lower if the bamboo expands. The elasticity of
bamboo depends on the density of that bamboo. If the bamboo is less dense, the elasticity will be
larger so the tone will change easily. But if the bamboo quite dense, the elasticity will be smaller
so the change of tone almost invisible. The dense bamboo is the best bamboo to be made
angklung. This elasticity can be prevented by doing re-tuning.
2. Bamboo becomes crack/ broken because of climate change
The strength of bamboo is different with the strength of metal towards the drastic climate
change, or very hot or very cold temperature. In hot temperature, the bamboo will easily crack or
even broken. It makes the tone that has formed broken and cannot be saved. While in the cold
temperature, the bamboo will deflate so it affects the tone.
3. Bamboo becomes broken because of termites
Termites are natural pests of every kind of bamboo. Termites eat cellulose that contains in
bamboo. There are almost 2000 species of termite in the world (some of them, in about 120
species are pests). In our country, there are about 200 species of termite and only 20 species that
had been known as a pest that can damage wood and plants. Termites can damage both inside
and outside the bamboo. The termites that damage bamboo come from larva which can be found
inside the bamboo or from outside termites.
The natural prevention of termite can be done by lose or decrease the cellulose that contains in
bamboo. Former times, fumigation and soak in a river that has strong current were believed to be
a way to decrease the content of cellulose in bamboo. In this modern era, there are many kinds of
anti-termites that can kill termites effectively. To prevent bamboo from termite, the use of antitermites is suggested and used regularly.

Bamboos Philosophy, according to Abah Udjo

Udjo is well known as an angklung artist who in his daily life, ha cannot be separated from
bamboo, the life always be symbolized close to the bamboo.
His love to bamboo is realized by planting bamboo around his residence. There are three plants
around his residence which he loves much and people should not cut them down. Those trees are
given name BBC that stands for Bamboo, Banana, and Coconut. The reason why Udjo loves
those trees is he wants to see natural environment as can be found in village.

History of Angklung

Long time ago, angklung was an instrument that had religious ritual function. The main function
of angklung was as a medium to invite Dewi Sri (rice goddess/prosperity) to come down to the
earth and gave fertility to plants. They used tritonik (three tones) angklung, tetra tonik (four
tones) and pentatonic (five tones). This kind of angklung usually calls angklung buhun that
means the old angklung which had not been influenced by other elements. Until now, some
villages still use angklung buhun in many ceremonies, such as pesta panen, ngaseuk pare,
nginebkeun pare, ngampihkeun pare, seren taun, nadran, helaran, turun bumi, sedekah bumi, etc.
Traditional Angklung
Angklung Baduy

It has not known from where and when Baduy Angklung came. The spread of this angklung was
not too wide. It may be because the performance was monotonous and boring.
In Baduy Jero society, Baduy Angklung is used as a performance which support traditional
ceremony to respect Sang Hyang Asri or Dewi Sri as an agricultural and fertility goddess. That
ceremony is well known as ngaseuk pare, a ceremony held when planting rice seedling in field,
and ngampihkeun pare, a ceremony when take the rice to rice-shed.
Baduy Angklung consists of four ancak that called King-king, indo, panempas, and gong-gong.
Dog-dog and bedug have function to escort song rhythm and song tempo. The players use white
or black kampret, lomar, and iket. The total players are fifteen players; consist of nine
angklung players, three bedug players, and the other as dancers.
In the performance, angklung and dog-dog escort them who sing and dance (ngalagu jeung
ngalage). The song is done by reply each other, while dancing and moving around. The songs are
Ayun-ayunan, Bibi Lenjang, Cik Arileu, Hiah-hiah Panjang, Jari Gandang, Keupat Rendang,
Lili-liyang, Nganteh, Ngaseh, Oray-orayan, Pong-pok, Salaela, Yandi Bibi, Ketek-ketek, and
Pileuleuyan.
Angklung Buncis

Buncis Angklung was first made by Mr. Bonce in 1975 in Kampung Cipurut, Desa Baros,
Arjasari, Bandung. It was told that Mr. Bonce worked as a fisherman in a river. One day, he
found the river where he put basket trap for fish overflowed because of flood. That flood washed
away some bamboos then he took home those bamboos and put in fireplace. After dried, he hit
those bamboos and they produced good and clear sound. So, he made angklung. The angklung
was named Buncis Angklung. Mr. Bonce made seven sets of Buncis Angklung and sold them to
Aki Dartiam. After that, Aki Dartiam combined the angklung with dog-dog and trumpet.
Buncis angklung is played as an art which escort public ceremony or other events that involve a
lot of people, such as nginebkeun pare or take the rice from rice field to house, heleran ceremony
or guiding children from house to bengkongs house to do circumcision, wedding ceremony, and
other national ceremony.
Angklung Gubrak

Long time ago, Kampung Cipining, Bogor was threatened by starvation because the rice in the
rice field couldnt grow well. The people believed that the calamity happened because of the
anger of Dewi Sri who was mourn and didnt get any entertainment or angry to the people. The
people belived that Dewi Sri stayed in the sky and they tried many things to invite Dewi Sri to
come to the earth and gave fertility to the rice fields. Many efforts done, such as gave sacrifice,
arranged art performance like suling performance, karinding performance, etc. But those efforts
didnt give any results. Dewi Sri didnt come down to the earth and the plants didnt grow well.
Finally, there was a man named Mukhtar. He invited his friends to go to Cirangsad Mountain to
cut surat bamboo. Afterwards, those bamboos were dried while doing mati geni as long as 40
days. Mukhtar processed those bamboos to become angklung. He completed the angklung with
dog-dog lojor. He taught the people how to play angklung and organized a ceremony for Dewi
Sri and used angklung as a medium. After that ceremony, the plants grew well and fertile. It was
believed that Dewi Sri accepted the ceremony and wanted to come down to the earth and gave
fertility. Angklung could attracted Dewi sri to come from the sky (in Sundanese, it is called
Ngagubrag). Later, this angklung is called Gubrag Angklung.
Gubrag Angklung is played in seren taun ceremony, which is a ceremony held in last harvest.
Besides that, Gubrag Angklung also played in family party, anniversary, national days and many
other events that involve a lot of people.
Angklung Bungko

Bungko Angklung can be found in Desa Bungko, the boundary of Cirebon and Indramayu. The
first Bungko Angklung was believed to be 600 years old. The first Bungko Angklung is still
alive, kept well, although it doesnt have tone anymore. The first Bungko Angklung always
enclosed in every performance of Bungko Angklung as an official symbol of that performance.

Bungko Angklung was developed by a figure of society, named Syeh Bentong or Ki Gede
Bungko, after used as a performance to escort the Bungkos village people to fight the pirates. Ki
Gede Bungko used Bungko Angklung to spread Islam.
Besides those kinds of angklung, there are many other kinds of angklung that spread in almost
every place in West Java. For example, Jinjing Angklung which usually plays as entertainment,
angklung without vocal in Kanekes, angklung with susualan in Panamping, Sered Angklung in
Tasikmalaya which is the angklung competition for children, etc.
One effort in continuing and developing traditional angklung has been done by Udjo Ngalagena
through traditional angklung practice program in his Saung Angklung where the participants
should learn and understand about traditional angklung before they learn about modern angklung
or other Sundanese arts that have been modified.
Modern Angklung (Padaeng)

In 1938, Daeng, a teacher of Hollandsch Inlandsche School (HIS) in Kabupaten Kuningan, West
Java, returned angklung in society successfully by modified angklung to be more modern, from
simple instrument that has pentatonic pitch into more complex angklung that has diatonic pitch.
This angklung, later, is well known as Daeng Angklung or Padaeng Angklung. Daeng Angklung,
if it looks from how to play it and the scale, is possible to reach repertories of popular songs, not
only in national music but also west music.
Since he was child, Daeng really liked angklung. When he taught in HIS Kuningan, Daeng learnt
about angklung deeply, included how to make and maintain angklung, from an angklung maker
named Mr. Djaja. Daeng, who at that time studied in Kweekschool, learnt about west music and
tried to make angklung that has diatonic pitch. Daeng thought diatonic angklung tend to be more
communicative to be taught in schools. In addition, the people have known more about diatonic
pitch than pentatonic pitch.
With the help of Mr. Djaja, Daeng succeed to make a set of diatonic angklung then introduced to
the scout children where Daeng himself as a founder. The instrument accepted quickly as an art
medium in his scout group, especially when scout meeting and camping. In other hand, Padaeng
Angklung in Kuningan became famous in every social class. In 1946, Padaeng Angklung Group
was trusted to perform its ability in entertainment night in Linggar Jati Conference.
In 1950, Daeng moved to Bandung and taught in SMPN 2 Bandung. When he was in Bandung,
Daeng developed diatonic angklung and was given honor to perform it in Asia Africa Conference
in 1955.

The differences between traditional angklung and Daeng Angklung are in the pitch scale and
how to play it. Traditional angklung is a hand-angklung that played by a player while Daeng
Angklung is made to be played together, where every player plays on a tone and the song
harmony can be reached with good cooperation among the players.
As a teacher, Daeng saw that thing as a positive thing in education, especially in character
building education. It is reflected in angklung performance that every player should be able to
show cooperation, discipline, carefulness, ability and responsibility. As well as basic things in
music education, angklung can build the attention of music, bring the life of music, and develop
musicality, melody, rhythm, and harmony.
Daeng Soetigna not only succeed to enrich angklung, by developing pentatonic pitch to diatonic
pitch, but also meritorious in developing angklung to become modern instrument, involved
expanding melody as wide as 3 octave, completed by Accord angklung or Accompaniment
Angklung (large and small), to accompany those angklung.
Melodic Angklung have number in each angklung that will be converted into definite tone,
coincide with the base not. In other hand, Accompaniment Angklung has definite accord, it will
not change although the song played has different base note. Generally, the division of Padaeng
Angklung is as written below:
Angklung Development In Indonesia
The Magic of Angklung

Other things which lead to the development of meaningful values in music education are:

Increasing awareness on music

Emerging music sense

Developing rhythm sense, melody and harmony, etc.

The other important things of Angklung are:

Intellectual/intelligent development

Creativity-discipline

Emotional and expressions channel in playing music happily.

Practice coordinating body movement when following music rhythm in terms

of psychomotor nerve development.

Some health centres in other country have proved through their scientific
findings that Angklung has been a health therapy medium.

Furthermore, it is expected that traditional arts be able to stimulate idealism

and interests of young generation on the existence of Sundanese traditional
arts/music. In addition to this, it is further hoped that young generations also
get interested in preserving natural environment.

All stated previously are called the The Magic of Angklung.

Angklung and Character Building

From its enchantment and appeal, Angklung has a good effect because of its real function: by the
art of Angklung, good values may grow, especially in character building, such as:
Cooperation, Cooperativeness, Discipline, Accuracy, Agility, Responsibility, Etc.

Playing Angklung
The following are the explanation about how to hold, shake, and play angklung that believed to
be true so far.

The position of angklung is the higher tube on the right of the player and the short one on
the left, straight and not slant.

The left hand of the player hold the upper knot of angklung and the right hand hold the
below side of angklung. The position of the left hand can grip the angklung both upside
or downside. Both hands are in straight position.

The right hand is used to shake the angklung while the left hand only to hold the
angklung without moving it. The movement of the right hand is from right to left and it is
done quickly by wrist.

If a player holds more than one angklung, the bigger angklung is placed near the body. If
the size quite big, angklung can be hold in arm of the player. If it is small, angklung is
held by finger, but it should have space between one angklung from another, so it will not
collide.

There are some ways to play angklung:

Long vibrate

Angklung is shaken long based tone played, so the melody will be played continuously.
Staccato

Angklung doesnt shake as usual, but it is shaken in one beat so it produces short sound. To
produce this sound, angklung is held by slanting the angklung and the base of the right tube is
beaten to right hand.
Tengkep

It is played by bear or closes the small tube so it will not make any sound. The vibration of this
way is still long and continuous. This way is done if we want to get finer sound.