Munggang

Indonesia

Munggang refers to a traditional musical ensemble and an associated scale found in the courts of central Java, Indonesia. These ensembles are considered among the most ancient gamelans in the region. The instruments typically consist of gong ageng, kempul, kendang, and horizontal gong chimes tuned to three pitches.

The munggang ensembles are characterized by their very low absolute pitch and exist in two types: pelog and slendro. While Javanese myths describe the origins of these ensembles, it is theorized that the first may have been imported to Indonesia in the first century CE, with the first ensemble constructed by the Javanese in the 4th century. The repertory includes several repetitive pieces, most notably a high-middle-high-low permutation.

Sources

  1. Munggang