Angklung : The Bamboo Shaker

The most indigenous Southeast Asian (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei)bamboo idiophone is the angklung, the bamboo shaker. Concussion idiophones are struck together, usually in pairs. The instruments is normally shaken rather than struck. They include vessel types, with loose ratting objects enclosed in a container; strung rattles, with small, hard objects tied together or to a handle; and frame rattles, such as the sistrum and the Javanese angklung (tuned bamboo tubes sliding within a framework). The jingle, or pellet, bell is a metal vessel rattle, not a true bell. Angklung is a popular bamboo musical instrument in Southeast Asia. It I s the easiest instrument to play: You just shake it.

An angklung is a pair (or more) of bamboo tubes mounted on a bamboo frame. The tubes are in different lengths and are cut halves at the upper two-birds. The lower end of each tube is closed by a node. Two prongs extend out and fit loosely into a corresponding slot of the horizontal bass tube.

The structure of an angklung

The two tubes are tuned an octave apart (three tubes can be two octaves or can form a chord). When shaken, the concussion of the tubes against the base procedures a pitch. Since each instrument makes only one pitch, it takes many single angklungs to make a complete melody.



Even though angklung can be found in many parts of Southeast Asia, it is generally believed that it originated on the island of Java. Traditional angklung music is also used in East Java, Central Java and other islands. However the Angklung is now widely played in many parts of Malaysia.

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continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the
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lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts, followed by evening
performances on the main stage has proven to be a hit with the
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Traditional music

The Malays of Kelantan and Terengganu are culturally linked to peoples from the South China Sea area, and are quite different from the West Coast of Malaya. The martial art of silat, while essentially still important as a branch of the self defence form, is also popular among the Malays as an art presentation. Similar to tai chi, though of independent origin, it is a mix of martial arts, dance and music typically accompanied by gongs, drums and Indian oboes.