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What is a bonang?
The bonang is a musical instrument used in the Javanese gamelan. It is a collection of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame either one or two rows wide.
Description:All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened head, while the higher ones have an arched one. Each is tuned to a specific pitch in the appropriate scale; thus there are different bonang for pelog and slendro. They are typically hit with padded sticks (tabuh).Bonang may be made of forged bronze, welded and cold-hammered iron, or a combination of metals. In addition to the gong-shaped form of kettles, economical bonang made of hammered iron or brass plates with raised bosses are often found in village gamelan, in Suriname-style gamelan, and in some American gamelan.
More about it:The parts played by the bonang barun and bonang panerus are more complex than many instruments in the gamelan; thus, it is generally considered an elaborating instrument. Sometimes it plays melodies based on the balungan, though generally modified in a simple way. However, it can also play more complex patterns, obtained by combining barung and panerus patterns, such as the alternation of interlocking parts (imbal) and the interpolation of florid melodic patterns

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TABLA #1!

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"Dong Dong Dong " Ever wondered what that sound is? That is the sound of a tabla. A tabla consists of two drums;1 big ,1 small.A tabla is a membranophone percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent(India, Pakistan), consisting of a pair of drums, 1 BIG 1 small.They are used in traditional, classical, popular and folk music.
Whether it is true or not,the tabla was invented in the first half of the 18th century (about 1738) by a drummer named Amir Khusru, who was instructed to develop a more subtle and melodic percussion instrument that could accompany the new style of music called Khayal.
How to use it? "Easy pz!" First, start by sitting cross legged(like how Aden meditates!) with the small drum on your right and the BIG drum on your left. Next, place your middle, ring, and little fingers of your right hand on the small drum Lastly, lift your hand a few inches and strike the drum at the center with these 3 fingers.
FUN FACTS!!!Did you know that there are competitons for this instrument?

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What is a shimedaiko?
It is a small Japanese drum that has a short but wide body with animal skin drumheads on both its upper and bottom sides. The hide is first stretched on metal hoops, then stretched over the body. Similar to the tsuzumi and to African talking drums, both drum heads are bound together with cords so that the drum heads are bound by each other. Like the larger taiko drums, the shime-daiko is played with sticks called "bachi," while it's suspended on a stand. Being very taut, the shime-daiko has a higher pitch than that of normal taiko. Shime-daiko are used in various Japanese music ensembles, from nagauta(長唄), hayashi (囃子), taiko (太鼓), to folk music, or min'yō (民謡) ensembles.

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what is a ghatam and where is it originated?:
•The ghatam is one of the most ancient percussion instruments of South India. It is a clay pot with a narrow mouth. From the mouth, it slants outwards to form a ridge. Made mainly of clay backed with brass or copper filings with a small amount of iron filings, the pitch of the ghatam varies according to its size. It is a circular pot beaten with the hands as a percussion instrument in south Indian music.
History of ghatam:
•Ghatams are mostly manufactured in Manamadurai.

•Ghatam meaning comes from the word <i>ghata</i> in Sanskrit, meaning pot.

•The ghatam as an instrument was first described by Sage Valmiki in the ancient poem Ramayana, dated roughly 500 CE.

•The ghatam began as a folk instrument in several parts of India and remains a prominent part of many folk traditions today, particularly in Punjab.

• It was only until the 19th century that the ghatam was included in South Indian Carnatic classical music performances.
How to play a ghatam?:
It is played with the heel of the palms and the fingers, while held in the lap, the mouth facing the stomach of the musician. By changing the distance between the pot and the stomach, the musician can vary the tone of the instrument.
Done by: keon(33),zening(35)

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Kendang ( Megan and Nicole 109)

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Megan and nicole music instrumental homework

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What: 二胡 (èrhú), a two-stringed instrument played with a bow. It has a soundbox (琴筒), a stem that goes through the soundbox (琴杆), strings (琴弦), qianjin (千斤), a bridge (琴马) and a bow (弓).

Where: Originated from Tang Dynasty in China (Year 618- 907), introduced to China more than 1000 years ago from invaders from the North and the West which is Modern-day Mongolia and Russia.

Why: It is fully standardised and developed in the 1900s and is the most iconic and representative of Huqins.

How: The erhu is played with the bow lodged between its two strings. Rosin is applied to the erhu bow and movement of the bow hair against the erhu strings produces the different sounds, through the different actions. It does not have a fingerboard, which makes it more difficult to control the pitch. However, it allows for more dramatic expressions as well as richer palette of tone colours.

When: It was used for Orchestra performances for its soothing yet powerful sounds.

Interesting points:

-Due to its resemblance in function to the violin, it is occasionally called the “Chinese Violin”.

Done by Xuan Ling (9) and Zi Xin (10)
Class: 109

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Why was it invented :
The guzheng has existed since the Warring States Period and became especially popular during the Qin dynasty. ... In 1961, they also invented the “S-shaped” left string rest, which was quickly adopted by all guzhengmakers and is still used today, whether in the shape of the letter “S”, “C”, etc.
What is it:
The zheng or guzheng, also known as a Chinese zither, is a Chinese plucked string instrument with a more than 2,500-year history. The modern guzheng commonly has 21 strings, is 64 inches long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from Paulownia
Where and when it was invented:
The guzheng was invented in China. It originated during the Warring Period more than 2,500 years ago in China.
Who invented the guzheng:
The guzheng has a long and proud history, which is believed to have been invented during the Qin Dynasty (897-221 BC).
How was was made:
The guzheng's strings were formerly madeof twisted silk, though by the 20th century most players used metal strings (generally steel for the high strings and copper-wound steel for the bass strings). ... The guzhenghas a large resonant cavity made from wu tong wood (Paulownia tomentosa).
Done by Shi Jia(13), Gretchen(5), Celine (16)

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WHAT:

• a musical instrument of Indonesia, that is used in the gamelan.

• normally has seven bronze bars placed on top of a resonating frame (rancak)

• usually about 20 cm (8 in) high, and is played on the floor by a seated performer

HOW:

• a single hammer-shaped wooden beater (tabuh) is used to strike the keys

WHY:

• holes for anchoring the keys on its casing are drilled at one-quarter of a key’s total length from each end (which are nodal points in the mode of vibration for rectangular keys)

• The keys rest on the top edge of the resonator’s sideboards, separated from it by cube-shaped cushions made of folded rattan

• the keys and their cushions are anchored in place with pins (made from nails) that run through the holes in the keys and the cushions beneath them into the wooden sideboard

WHEN:

• it is used in the gamelan which is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments.

WHERE:

•Origin: Borobudur in the 9th century

INTERESTING FACTS:

• In a pelog scale, the bars often read 1-2-3-5-6-7 across (the number four is not used because of its relation to death)

Done by: Cadence Koh (01) & Chen Pingxin (03)
Class: 109

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WHAT:
A balafon can be either fixed-key (where the keys are strung over a fixed frame, usually with calabash resonators or free-key . The balafon usually has 17-21.

The balafon is generally capable of producing 18 to 21 notes, though some are built to produce many fewer notes (16, 12, 8 or even 6 and 7).
WHAT:
The balafon is a kind of xylophone or percussion idiophone which plays melodic tunes, and usually has between 16 and 27 keys.

WHERE: It has been played in Africa since the 12th century according to oral stories; it originated in Mali, according to the Manding history narrated by the griot
HOW:
Balafon keys are traditionally made from bacna wood, dried slowly over a low flame, and then tuned by shaving off bits of wood from the underside of the keys. Wood is taken off the middle to flatten the key or the end to sharpen it.
WHY:
The wood is then kiln-baked to ensure no moisture remains. The skill involved in making and playing these instruments is immense. They are often made by craftsmen who have no small hand tools.

Interesting Points:
As the balafon cultures vary across West Africa, so does the approach to the instrument itself. In many areas the balafon is played alone in a ritual context, in others as part of an ensemble. In Guinea and Mali, the balafon is often part of an ensemble of three, pitched low, medium and high. In Cameroon, six balafon of varying size perform together in an orchestra, called a komenchang

Done by : Wei Ling 02
& Jia Li 21
Class: 109

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WHAT:
The Chinese paigu (排鼓; pinyin: páigǔ; also spelled pai gu) is a set of three to seven tuned drums (in most instances five are used), traditionally made of wood with animal skin heads. The drums are painted red and have decorative patterns.

WHO:
This Chinese drum was used a long time ago in old China, where during war times it was used to call to arms where they will play this knocking sound.  So all the soldiers will gather and the war will start.  During an exciting movement, they will play a knocking sound but of a higher spirit.  This is how the Chinese drum was used in the modern Chinese orchestra.

WHERE & WHY:
In the early stage of the production, the drum was mainly used for activities related to religion, military, communication , folk customs, ceremonies, etc., and it was a practical function. Later, with its rich sound and vivid rhythm, people began to use the drum as an aesthetic object, used in daily entertainment or folk dance music and dance music, the drum began to have the expressive power of music art .

Since the beginning of history, drums have often been used as accompaniment instruments or props for folk dances. Drums are the main role of dance. They control the rhythm and inspire the dance emotions with loud drums. Drums are an important instrument in various ethnic instrumental music. For example, the percussion ensemble in the ensemble is a form of pure ensemble composed of percussion instruments, including the gongs and drums in the large sets of drums  Under the combination of different drums and other percussion instruments, the rich and complex tone, rhythm and intensity change, showing a passionate or light and lively atmosphere.

HOW:
Paigu are usually played with two people.  It is played by beating the heads (and sometimes also the body) with sticks. Most drums are double-sided and turnable. Both sides have different tunings. The reason for the four-five degree relationship is that although only one side is tapped while playing, the drum skin on the other side is not static and will resonate. Therefore, the two sides of the drums are fixed as the Concord interval

On the one hand, it is easy to fix the sound, on the other hand, the pronunciation can be pure, because the sound of the tapping is the material of the music itself, making the sound sound and pleasant, with a clear rhythm .

Presented By:
Raeanne Tay (17) and Lee Jiaying (7),  Class: 109

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What:

xylophone-like instrument used in South East Asia, especially among the Javanese in Indonesia in the traditional gamelan.

Gamelan is a Javanese term that refers to equipment or instruments played in unity. It is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali made up of percussive instruments played with a mallet to the beat of hand-played drums.

Interesting point: The Gambang usually plays the fastest part in the gamelan.

Where:

Extant depictions of xylophones in Java are found on Buddhist and Hindu temples such as the 8th century CE Borobudur and the 14th century CE Panataran, but these instruments differ in significant ways from the Javanese gambang of today.

no reliable source as to when the gambang took on its current form and musical role.

many centuries-old gamelan in Indonesia set in royal palaces and museums include the gambang that appear to be original to them.

Interesting point: This suggests that the instrument we know has existed conservatively for 250-300 years or more.

Why:

usually made with wooden bars (gambang kayu) though there other types of gambangs such as the gambang gangsa which is made with metal bars.

bars of Gambang Kayu are often made of teak, a tropical hardwood tree species. They are later mounted in a deep wooden case. They are easily removed and kept in place by having a hole through which a nail is placed.

How:

The player needs two mallets (tabuh) to play the Gambang.

The mallets are approximately 35cm and at the end of the handle is a wooden disc surrounded by padded felt or cloth.

Interesting point: The slender mallets have very long handles and are made of buffalo horn.

When:

The gambang is regularly used in performances by gamelan ensembles, the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia.

In Javanese Wayang, a form of puppet theatre art, it is used to accompany the Dalang (puppeteer), in certain chants.

Interesting point: The Gambang stands out because of the high speed of playing and contrasting timbre, due to the material it is made of and its wider melodic range than other instruments in the gamelan.

By: Enya Joy Tey(4) and Soh Rui Chin(15)
Class: 109

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Description:

Changgo consists of an hourglass-shaped body with two heads made from animal skin. The two heads produce sounds of different pitch and timbre, which when played together are believed to represent the harmony of man and woman.

Origin place:

Korea

Year of origin:
57 BC–935 AD

Process of developing:

Jorongmok is the round tube in the middle connecting the left and right side of the hourglass-shaped body. The two skin heads are lapped onto metal hoops placed over the open ends of the body and secured by rope counter-loops.

How to use:

Traditionally the janggu is played using yeolchae on the right hand high pitch area and uses the bare hand on the low pitch area.

Interesting point:

The performer can use his or her hands as well as sticks, various sounds and tempi, deep and full, soft and tender, and menacing sounds, and fast and slow beats, can be created to suit the mood of the audience.

By: Sorenson Yeo(31) and Nong Yu Qiao(29)
Class: S1/09

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Kora

What
Kora is a 21- string lute-bridge-harp. It is used extensively in West Africa.

Why
Kora is built from a large calabush cut in half, covered with cow skin to make a resonator with a long hardwood neck.

Where
Kora's origin is West Africa

When
Kora was invented in the late 20th century by musician Robert Grawi.

How
Kora is a handmade instrument, originally built entirely from natural materials grown in the West African Savannah.

Interesting points
Kora is usually used by male musicians, mainly to accompany narrations , recitations and songs in honour of a patron.

Jo Min(8) & Jileen(6)
Class: 109