Kendang

A kendang or gendang (Javanese: ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦝꦁ, romanized: kendhang, Sundanese: ᮊᮨᮔ᮪ᮓᮀ, romanized: kendang, Balinese: ᬓᬾᬦ᭄ᬤᬂ, romanized: kendang, Tausug/Bajau/Maranao: gandang, Bugis: gendrang and Makassar: gandrang or ganrang) is a two-headed drum used by people from the Indonesian Archipelago. It is an important instrument in traditional music and plays a big role in cultural events. The kendang is one of the main instruments in gamelan ensembles of Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese music.

People in many places use the kendang, including in various kulintang ensembles in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Each ethnic group builds and plays the kendang in their own special way. The kendang is related to another double-headed drum from India called the mridangam, showing how music ideas travel between cultures.

Overview

The kendang is a type of double-sided drum used across many places in Maritime Southeast Asia and India. Some of the oldest pictures of kendang can be seen in ancient temples in Indonesia, like the famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples.

For the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese people, the kendang has one side that is larger than the other. The larger side is usually placed to the right, and the drum is played while sitting on the floor, hitting it with the hands. In other groups like the Balinese, Tausug, and Maranao, both sides of the drum are the same size, and they can be played with hands or sticks.

In Gamelan music, the kendang is smaller than the bedug and helps keep the beat while also signaling changes in the music. During dance or wayang performances, the kendang player follows the dancer's movements and tells the other musicians what to play next. In West Java, kendang helps keep the tempo in Gamelan Degung music. It is also a main instrument in Jaipongan dances. In a special performance called Rampak Kendang, many drummers play together in harmony.

For the Makassarese people, the Ganrang (kendang) drums are very important and are considered sacred, almost like gongs in Java. They are used in local stories, ceremonies, dances like Ganrang Bulo, and even martial arts. Local government ceremonies often start with the sound of a ganrang instead of a gong. These drums are usually played alone, with many drummers creating interesting rhythms together. This tradition is also shared by the Bugis people in South Sulawesi.

Kendang making

Good kendang drums are often made from the wood of jackfruit, coconuts, or cempedak. Buffalo hide is used for the lower part of the drum, which makes lower sounds, while soft goatskin is used for the upper part, which makes higher sounds.

The skin is stretched on Y-shaped leather or rattan strings. These strings can be tightened to change the sound of the drum. Thinner leather makes a sharper sound.

Accompaniments

Javanese

In Gamelan Reog, kendhang drums help create special sounds for the Reog Ponorogo art. In Gamelan Surakarta, there are four main sizes of kendhang drums, each with its own role.

Sundanese

Sundanese Gamelan uses at least three kendang drums. These drums come in different sizes and styles, each serving a unique purpose in the music.

Balinese

Balinese Gamelan includes two kinds of kendang drums, one lower-pitched and one higher-pitched.

Makassarese

Makassarese kendang drums, called ganrang, come in three types used for different ceremonies and dances.

Buginese

Bugis gendrang drums have two ways of playing depending on how they are held. There are also three common beat patterns used when playing gendrang.