Come to Bali
BackgroundThe word angklung refers to a bamboo rattle which produces but one tone when shaken. Ensembles of these, tuned to a scale and shaken to create melodies, are still common in West Java. In Bali they used to be played in combination with the bronze instruments, but today they are rarely seen, although people lament their demise nostalgically.'
'Colin McPhee reintroduced them in Sayan village in 1938, when he brought a Gamelan Angklung for the village children.'
Angklung have much in their favour as educational instruments and 'tools'. A class set comprising three or four octaves of individual instruments weighs very little and is easily transported. Angklung are also relatively inexpensive compared with other classroom instrument collections.
A distinct classroom advantage is that each student may be made responsible for only one of seven pitches of the scale. Angklung are also easy to operate; as I explain elsewhere. Angklung may be taught in the traditional way, with pitches represented as numbers i.e. C = 1, D = 2, E = 3 and so on or using Western staff notation.
satu (1), dua (2), tiga (3),
empat (4), lima (5), enam (6), and tujuh (7)
Alternatively you may do as I do, substitute (and even 'call') colours, in Indonesian, for numbers.
- B or 'Ti' (solfa) = green or 'Hijau'
- A or La (solfa) = blue or 'Biru'
- G or 'Soh'(solfa) = red or 'Merah'
- F or 'Fah' (solfa) = black or 'Hitam
- E or 'Mi' (solfa) = brown or 'Coklat' .('choc'late')
- D or 'Re' (solfa) = purple or 'Ungu'
- C or 'Doh'(Solfa) = orange or 'Jingga' (easy...'ginger'
| Don't limit yourself to playing only Indonesian
music on angklung. They lend themselves wonderfully to intercultural pieces
of music which demonstrate skill in moving around the pitches. You could
start with this song that encourages upward and downward movement and collaboration
between your student groups to achieve a smooth transition between notes.
Mix 'sideways' shaking with sustained shaking of angklung to achieve short
and long note duration. Tips for Playing Angklung Figure 1: Hold each angklung loosely with your NON-writing hand, at the junction of the central horizontal prop and upright so that hand and arm are nothing more than props or 'stands' for the Angklung to swing from, like a branch of a tree. There are two bamboo 'tines' or loose prongs, which are the only moving parts on the Angklung. The Angklung should hang so that the smaller of the two tines is nearest that hand. |
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Have the thumb and 1st finger of your
WRITING hand grip the opposite lower side of the Angklung, either on the bamboo
upright or on the cross bar and with this hand the Angklung is SHAKEN VIGOROUSLY
from side to side, so that the two tines rattle back and forth. This is indicated
in the music by notes with double parallel lines through their stems.
Figure 2: Short notes can be created by holding the angklung almost horizontally and 'flicking' it up and down with repeated short single shakes. |
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You will almost certainly need to re-tune your angklung if you intend using them accurately with other instruments. Consider using an electronic guitar tuner to assist.
| Raising the Pitch (sharpening)
Using a sharp knife carve away bamboo to shorten both moveable 'tynes' a little at a time. By shortening the whole bamboo tyne pitch is raised or sharpened.Test the pitch change regularly. |
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Lowering the Pitch (flattening)
Find the 'top' of the round 'bowl' of each tyne, below the 'semi-round' section.Using a sharp knife carve away bamboo to shorten both moveable 'tynes' at this point, a little at a time. . By shortening this rounded section of the bamboo tyne pitch is lowered or flattened.Test the pitch change regularly. |