Most people refer to iron when talking about gamelan manufacture.
Whilst this is true in some cases, most gamelan instruments
in Bali are made of bronze – a mix of copper (tembaga)
and tin (timah) that gong smiths refer to as ‘kerawang’.
Ratios vary, but the standard is said to be around thirty
parts copper to ten parts tin. Kerawang is considered superior
to iron due to its louder and crisper sound when hit and because
it is more resonant and therefore can be heard farther away.
This latter point is important because at ceremonies gamelan
often compete to be heard over the sound of loudspeakers,
people, other gamelan ensembles and, in some cases, traffic
noise. Bronze is also more expensive, therefore more prestigious.
Unlike iron, however, the tuning of a new bronze key is not
stable and changes in pitch over the first ten or so years
of its life. Bronze keys or gongs of poorer quality also have
a tendency to crack or snap in half. Whilst being a bronze
smith can promise a lucrative trade, the cost of bronze and
its upkeep ensures that the iron gong smiths keep themselves
in business.
There are a few types of gamelan which are nearly exclusively
made of iron. Most selonding, a sacred Bali Aga ensemble dating
back to at least the 12th century, are made from slabs of
iron and their resonance is akin to large church bells. Typically,
other ensembles are only made of iron due to financial or
practical reasons (the instruments for a marching gamelan
such as baleganjur must be portable and durable, and iron
is both of these).
Gamelan instruments are also made from bamboo. A jegog gamelan
features gigantic bamboo instruments with tubes taken from
plantations only found in West Bali. Some types of gamelan
are a mix of bamboo and bronze, such as the ancient cremation
gamelan called gong saron and gambang. Perhaps more familiar
are the bamboo rindik you hear playing light and cheerful
melodies in restaurants and hotel lobbies around the island.
Copyright@ Kulture Kid 2006
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