MUSIC (3rd Quarter)

Lesson 2: Gongs of Mindanao

An application of the lesson involves playing a short kulintang piece from Maguindanao on
improvised instruments with appropriate expression, tone and style that is reflective of the
function of the music.
Gong Ensemble of Mindanao:
1. Kulintang - is a set of eight knobbed gongs in graduated sizes from largest to smallest
mounted in a wooden frame, about a meter long. Muslim carvings decorated the frame. The
kulintang is played by striking the gongs with two pieces of wood, about 12 inches long while
the player squats on the floor. The instruments is popular in Sulu.
Functions of Kulintang:
- Festivals, parades, weddings, religious rituals, healing ceremonies, and large feasts
- could be used for communicating long distance messages from one town to another
Prohibited during:
- during funerals and during the time of planting and harvest season
Antangan - a box-like wooden frame

2. Agung - hangs from horizontal pole or wooden frame. The player stands besides the rim of
the gong where he inserts his left arm through the ropes which suspend the instrument to
position his hand comfortably at the knob. On the right hand, the player hold a mallet padded
with rubber.

3. Gandingan - is a set of four graduated gongs, with thin rims and lower central knobs. They
hang in pairs with the knobs of the lower pitched gongs facing each other. The same with the
two higher pitched gongs. The pair of lower pitched gongs is positioned on the player's left side
while the pair of the higher pitched gongs is on the right. The player usually a woman who
stands between the two pair of gongs. Her body touches slightly the gong in the middle to
prevent from swinging. She uses two padded mallets (one mallet for each air) to strike the
gong's knobs.

4. Babendil - is small gong with thin rims and low central knobs. It is struck with thin bamboo
sticks to produce a metallic sound.

There are three ways to play the babendil.

1. by striking the rim of the suspended gong with a pair of sticks on the left hand.
2. by striking the gong's rim with the right hand using one stick while the left hand grasps the
rim.
3. by laying the instruments upside and striking the gong's rim with the two sticks.

THE RHYTMIC MODES OF MAGUINDANAO

1. Binalig - general expression of feeling

____I_____I______I______I_______I_____ R.H.

______II______I______I_____II______II L.H.

2. Sinulog - expresses a feeling of sadness or sentiment

__I_______I________I__I__I_____I_______I______I_I__I______

______II______II_______I____II_____II______II____I_________

MPS 
MUSIC (3rd Quarter)
Lesson 2: Gongs of Mindanao
3. Tidtu - virtuosity

____________I___________I___________I____________I

_______I__________I___________I__________I_________

4. Tahunggo - rituals associated with Sagayan dance

_______I__________I___________I___________I_______

_______I____II_________II_____________I____I_______

Project Making:
Bottled Kulintang
Materials:
8 pcs of bottle of the same shape and size
Water
Stirrer/fork/spoon

Steps:
1. Obtain eight glass or plastic bottles and remove any wrapping or contents from them
2. Fill the first bottle with about 1 inch of water, and continue to add increasing amounts of
water to each successive bottle.
3. The pitches will be higher as you add more water.
4. Use the Stirrer/fork/spoon to produce sound

Rubric:
10 pts 9 pts. 8 ts. 7 pts. 6 pts.
All bottles are
tuned from low
to high pitch
8 bottles
The task was
finished on
time
Improvised
music using the
bottled
kulintang

For the Kulintang Project, try the following:

Row Row Row Your Boat
1,1,1,2,3 3,2,3,4,5 8,8,8,5,5,5,3,3,3,1,1,1 5,4,3,2,1
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
1,1,5,5,6,6,5 4,4,3,3,2,2,1 5,5,4,4,3,3,2 5,5,4,4,3,3,2 1,1,5,5,6,6,5 4,4,3,3,2,2,1
Mary Had a Little Lamb
3,2,1,2,3,3,3 2,2,2 3,3,3 3,2,1,2,3,3,3, 3,2,2,3,2,1

MPS 