Instruments
The gong set Bonang

The  bossed gongs of the "Bonang" seem to be all of the same size, but the pitch and tuning is different and resembles a "pelog" or "slendro" scale. This old museum model is not what actually can be found in the Gamelan ensembles, but it gives a good idea how loud a set of gongs can be, and how difficult it is to tune it precisely. The bossed knuckles seem to be the trick for tuning, but taking a hammer in your hand and beating inside is not the solution.  There are a few experts left in Indonesia who know how to tune the Gamelan instruments, and sometimes they travel worldwide, as there are Gamelan ensembles in Europe and America as well.

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