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Hung Gongs - The
form of the piece is outlined by various hung gongs. The largest one or two, the
gong ageng , play on the important divisions of the form (for example, on the final note of each cycle). If there are two
gong ageng , they are of different sizes and play at different times, not together. Less important divisions of the form may be played on the medium-sized kempur or the small kemong . - Core melody gender instruments - Carefully tuned pairs of gender instruments, with five keys each, are struck with soft mallets, playing the most basic version of the melody, which usually stays the same for most repetitions of the cycle. The jegogan have the lowest range of these instruments. An octave higher are the calung , and yet another octave higher are the penyacah . (Some ensembles do not use penyacah .)
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Elaborated-melody gender instruments - These instruments may have between 7 and 12 keys each. They play the melody with complex flourishes and elaborations that often change from one cycle to the next. The lowest-voiced, the
ugal , is a single rather than a paired instrument. The
ugal player leads the section, sometimes improvising extra elaborations. The two pairs of pemade are an octave higher than theugal , and the two pairs of kantilan are yet another octave higher. The highest instruments in this category use kotekan technique to play very showy, high-speed elaborations. -
Kettle gongs - A simple, steady beat is played on the
kempli , helping to keep all of the instruments on a very precise beat. Two kinds of
gong chime may be used. The
trompong is played by a soloist. The
reyong is played by four people at once, using
kotekan techniques. -
Drums -
Gong kebyar is typically led by two kendang , the lanang smaller and higher-pitched than the wadon . Both are cylindrical asymmetric double-headed drums, with the head on one end being noticeably larger than the one on the other end. Played directly with the hands and fingers, they often have intricately interlocking parts that reflect thekotekan parts. Akendang wadon player is usually the rehearsal leader and composer for the group, as well as the individual responsible for signaling tempo , dynamics , and section changes. Since these must be closely coordinated with the dancers during the performance, and since a very clean, tight ensemble coordination at fast tempos is one of the most important aesthetic goals ingamelan music, this is a major responsibility. This is considered the most difficult instrument in the ensemble, sometimes playing highly virtuosic, improvisatory parts. Although in some older music styles a reserved approach is considered more appropriate, a goodgong kebyar drummer may put on a very showy, visually dramatic performance.