Bonang
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Bonangs, or gong chimes, are important instruments of the traditional gamelan, the percussion orchestra from Java in Indonesia. The bonang does not usually play the main tune ; instead it plays patterns of quick notes that decorate the melody. Bonangs in java come in two sizes : the bonang panerus, shown here, is the smaller of the two.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| Two octaves or more, depending on tuning. |
| Material |
| Bronze gongs set in a wooden frame, which is often decorated. |
| Size |
| Variable : this bonang is 5 ft (1.53 m) long and 26 in (67 cm) wide. |
| Origins |
| Gong chimes of various kinds are used throughout South-east Asia. The bonang is from java. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| There are two quite different scale systems in Javanese music. |
