9 Traditional Sundanese Musical Instruments

Sundanese has so many riches cultures that exist from time to time. They keep their traditions such as do the local ritual, the traditional clothes, traditional dances, traditional song, and also traditional musical instruments just like Balinese traditional music instrument.

Speaking of music, Sundanese is popular with their good music and song because of their harmony between the musical instrument and poems that similar to the West Java folktales.

Sundanese well-known is as good as making a poem into a good piece of the song. The song commonly will follow by their traditional musical instruments that exist for a long time ago.

1. Calung

Calung is a kind of traditional Sundanese musical instrument made from bamboo. The bamboo should be arranged neatly then play it with the specific hammer from the sections of bamboo. The bamboo should be chosen with a specific black or white bamboo.

Sundanese commonly calls the bamboo material the Awi Wulung and Awi Temen. That good material of bamboo claims can be the source of giving a good sound in the Calung. It has a similar voice with the Angklung from Central Java but has a bit deep on some points.

2. Sundanese Suling

Sundanese Suling is a kind of traditional Sundanese musical instrument made from bamboo. It is similar to the common flute in Indonesia but with a different name. It has about four up to six holes in it to make the sound higher than another flute in Indonesia.

You can find the Sundanese Suling in most of the Sundanese song. It has a unique sound with a higher voice that use as the melody of a song. This instrument is so popular in most common Sundanese songs which you can find in most of the Sundanese that lives in the traditional house in West Java.

3. Celempung

Celempung is a kind of traditional Sundanese musical instrument made from bamboo. More specifically, it has a combination of the bamboo skin and the sections of bamboo. It will give a unique voice with so many great integrations between these materials.

Celempung plays by knocking the bamboo in a specific rhythm with a specific hammer. One hand punch the bamboo, and the other hand rule find the harmony between the Celempung’s body.

4. Kecapi

Kecapi is a kind of traditional Sundanese musical instrument made of good wood material with a string. It is played by picking the string so that you can find the rhythm in good harmony.

There are two kinds of Kecapi in Sundanese traditional music instruments. It calls as the Kecapi Indung and Kecapi Rincik. The Kecapi Indung has about 18 up to 20 strings as the intro or ruled the tempo on the song.

Kecapi Rincik plays like the space rhythm of the song to find a higher frequency between the tone. These instruments integrate perfectly with other Sundanese traditional music instruments in so many Sundanese songs.

5. Jentreng

Jentreng is a kind of Sundanese traditional music instrument that is made of good wood completes with the strings. It is similar to Kecapi but has only seven strings and size smaller than Kecapi.

The sound of Jentreng also comes differently comparing with Kecapi. Even though the form has so similar, but these instruments come in a lower voice with a deep bass feeling on them. You can easily find these instruments in some traditional dances in West Java.

6. Karinding

Karinding is a kind of Sundanese traditional music instrument made from bamboo or palm tree midrib. Since the palm tree comes so difficult to reach, most Sundanese chooses bamboo to make the Karinding.

Karinding has unique functions based on the material that Sunadanese choose. The Karinding that is made of bamboo material should be played by men only. And the Karinding that made by the palm tree midrib should be played by women only.

Karinding should be blown to make a great sound. Besides, your hand should function as the hammer to press it in some rhythmic way. It needs a great combination between the blown and pressing so that the voice can be sound harmonically.

7. Arumba

Arumba is a kind of traditional Sundanese musical instrument made from bamboo but consists of some instruments. Commonly, Sundanese unites the Angklung, Calung, and Sundanese Gambang to make a great harmony in the music. The integration of these instruments calls as the Arumba which you can find in some traditional ceremonies in West Java.

Arumba was well-known among Sundanese since about 1971. At that time, a Sundanese call as Udjo Ngalagena develops some instruments from bamboo that makes people love the integration so much.

8. Bangbaran

Bangbaran is a kind of traditional musical instrument made from the sections bamboo. Right at the corner of the bamboo should be perforated so that once you punch the bamboo it will give a unique sound.

For some professional Bangbaran punchers, they will naturally found a harmonic sound into the best rhythm that you can hear smoothly. It has a unique echo that resonates with the rhythm naturally which Sundanese love the sound so much. commonly, you can find these instruments in some live drama or theater.

9. Rebab

Rebab is a kind of traditional music instrument that is made from good wood material with some string as the ornaments to generate the rhythm. It used to be made from copper with three strings attached to it. But, as time goes by Sundanese make it from wooden material.

Rebab is similar to the violin but the voice on it comes differently. to play this instrument also by swiped the string just like how the violin should be play.

So, there are some glances about the Sundanese traditional musical instruments that should know. Most of them made from bamboo as the most common trees that grow in Sundanese areas.