Angklung at A Glanze

by Rina Suci Handayani

Nowadays, the diversity of Indonesia is one of nation development capitals

and traditional art is one of these diversities. Indonesia has many kinds of
traditional music instruments that represent our local wisdom and
philosophy. In this short writing, we are going to introduce you one of our
nation proud. It is called angklung…

What is angklung?
Angklung is one of Indonesia’s traditional music instruments from
West Java province, Java Island, Indonesia. It is made from black
bamboo that grows on tropic land like Indonesia. Our ancestor used it
either as spiritual instruments in harvest party, marriage or baby born.
The traditional angklung base tone is pentatonic-chromatic. The
pentatonic-chromatic sounds: na, mi, na, ti, la, da. So that, the
traditional one only plays the traditional ensemble/song.

Picture 1: Traditional angklung

One of traditional angklung named angklung Gubrak that uses to celebrate

the paddy harvest party in west java.
Who was the founder of modern angklung?
He was Mr. Daeng Soetigna a teacher born at May 13, 1908 in Garut, West
Java province, Java Island, Indonesia.
He saw that angklung image was declining into beggar instrument to ask a
pity. Based on this concern, Mr. Daeng rebuild and upgraded a new image of
angklung became modern and as educational instrument.
In 1938 Daeng Soetigna made some angklung research; he found that
angklung base tone can be transformed into diatonic-chromatic. The diatonic-
chromatic sounds are do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do.
Finally, the modern angklung called Angklung Padaeng can play various
songs, e.g. classics such Canon in G, Le Blue de Danube, popular song, mars,
etc.
The late of Mr. Daeng Soetigna appreciated as the Father of Indonesia
Angklung by the Indonesian government. He was the innovator of modern
angklung and now angklung Padaeng is known in all over the world.

Picture 2: Mr. Daeng Soetigna the founder of Angklung Padaeng

Mr. Daeng Soetigna also a pathfinder/scout

Angklung Today
th
November 16 , 2010 was the most historical and important day for angklung
in Indonesia. At the 5th conference of Inter-Governmental Committee for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage IGC-ICH UNESCO in
Nairobi, Kenya. UNESCO has decided angklung as Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from Indonesia.
 HOW TO PLAY ANGKLUNG
Angklung Padaeng divided into two groups that are angklung melody and
angklung accompaniment. Generally, an angklung melody consists of two
tubes which are big and small tubes - (see picture 3). While angklung
accompaniment consists of three or four tubes.
Angklung plays as melody, the small tube sounds as vocal (main tone) and the
big one decreases one octave from the main tone.
To play it, hold angklung with your left hand and pay attention to the
conductor while you are singing the song within your heart, then shake it with
right hand when you find your turn to sound it. You will hear sounds
klung…klung from it. (see the picture 4).

Picture 3: Angklung Padaeng (angklung melody)

Picture 4: How to Hold the Angklung when Playing It.

Use your left hand to hold the angklung and your right hand to shake it. Keep smiling
while playing angklung ☺

The Tagline of Angklung is 5M. 5M means Murah (cheap),

Mudah (easy), Massal (mass), Mendidik (educate) and Menarik
(attractive).
 HOW TO MAKE AN ANGKLUNG
First of all, you shall have to prepare all the materials needed. The
materials are: Black bamboo, rope bamboo, gombong bamboo, rattan,
machete, saw, cutlery knife, and drill.
Black bamboo is used to make the tone tubes. Rope and gombong bamboo
are used to make the angklung frame stem. To form it into each function,
we use machete to cut the bamboo trees, and saw to form bamboo into
right size needed to make the tone tubes.
We use drill to make the bore on the rope bamboo to put the frame stem
made of gombong bamboo into bore.
If you already form the black bamboo into tone tubes, use the cutlery
knife to smoothen the both inside of black bamboo. The inside smoothen
cutting process is needed in order to make the tone sounds accurate.
Each angklung has its own tone. We need to master the knowledge of
diatonic-chromatic tone in order to create the tube tone as needed. To
master this knowledge needs time and process learning from the angklung
masters in Indonesia.
If the tone tube is ready, the next step is to assembly one by one the tube
to the angklung frame using rattan as it binding. Tighten up the bamboo
to the frame using rattan.
Finally, your angklung is ready to be played. It sounds klung…klung..

Angklung made of black bamboo is ready to be played.

Thank You