Angklung is a multitonal (double pitched) musical instrument that traditionally developed in Sundanese society. This musical instrument is made of bamboo, played by shaking it.

In a Sundanese tradition in the past, the angklung instrument actually has a religious ritual function to invite Dewi Sri (the goddess of rice, the symbol of prosperity) to come down to earth and give fertility to rice plants.

The word "angklung" comes from the Sundanese language "angkleung-angkleungan", which is the movement of the angklung players, as well as from the sound "klung" that this bamboo instrument produces. Angklung is actually a development of the calung musical instrument, which is a bamboo tube that is hit. Meanwhile, the angklung is a bamboo tube that is shaken so that it produces only one note for each instrument.




As for the types of bamboo that are used as musical instruments, they are black bamboo (awi wulung) and ater bamboo (awi temen), which when they dry are whitish yellow. Each note is produced from the sound of the bamboo tube in the shape of the blade of each bamboo segment from small to large.


Along with the development of angklung, since November 2010, UNESCO has designated angklung as a Masterpiece of Oral and Non-Hindu Cultural Heritage of Humans. One place that still preserves angklung culture is Saung Udjo. In this studio located in Bandung, visitors can not only see various types of angklung, but also learn the process of making angklung.





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