Kenong

Man playing kenong in a gamelan orchestra (1966)

The kenong is one of the instruments used in the Indonesian gamelan. It is technically a kind of gong, but is placed on its side and is roughly as tall as it is wide. It thus is similar to the bonang, kempyang and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Kenongs are generally much larger than any of those, however. Its pitch is actually rather high considering its size; its sound stands out however because of its unique timbre. They are usually played with similar padded sticks to the bonang, except larger. The kenong is sometimes played by the same player as the kempyang and ketuk.

It has a lot of other instrument in the gamelan 'family'. Most of the instrument originated in China but spread to southeast Asia.

The kenong usually has a specific part in the colotomic structure of the gamelan, marking off parts of a structure smaller than a gongan (the space between each strike of the gong). The interval of each part between strikes of a kenong is called a nongan. In a fast, short structure these can only last a second or so; in a longer gendhing, particularly in a slow irama, they can last several minutes. There are usually two or four nongans in a gongan.

Kenongs are usually in sets of one for each note, although sometimes other notes can be substituted for any missing notes. A full gamelan would include sets for slendro and pelog. The boxes (rancak) for the kenong are usually for one or two; these are then put in a line or curve surrounding the player. There are generally more of them than there are kempuls, as all gamelan structures require kenong but not necessarily kempul.

External links

• NIU page on the kenong

Gamelan
Theory	Pelog Slendro Pathet Cengkok Seleh Sekaran Imbal & kotekan Gatra Colotomy Gendhing structures Irama Gamelan notation
Genres & ensembles	Gamelan angklung Gamelan bebonangan Gamelan beleganjur Gamelan degung Gamelan gadhon Gamelan gambang Gamelan gender wayang Gamelan gong gede Gamelan gong kebyar Gamelan jegog Gamelan joged bumbung Gamelan munggang Gamelan salendro Gamelan sekaten Gamelan selunding Gamelan semar pegulingan Gamelan siteran Gamelan surakarta
Musicians	Evan Ziporyn Gamelan Sekar Jaya Gamelan Son of Lion I Nyoman Windha K. P. H. Notoprojo List of U.S. gamelan ensembles Michael Tenzer
Instruments	Colotomic or phrase-making Kempyang Ketuk Kempul Kenong Gong Gong ageng Balungan or melody Saron peking Saron panerus Saron barung Saron demung Slentem Slentho Bonang barung Bonang panerus Bonang panembung Panerusan or elaborating Gender Gender panerus Gambang Siter Celempung Suling Rebab Unpitched Kendang gending Kendang ciblon Kendang ketipung Bedug Kecer Kemanak Kepyak Vocals and clapping Gerongan Sindenan Pesinden Alok Senggakan Keplok