Angklung Online: Shake 25 Bamboo Notes
The angklung is a bamboo instrument from the Sundanese region of West Java, Indonesia, inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Each angklung holds bamboo tubes tuned to one note in a frame. You shake the frame, the tubes knock against it and the note keeps repeating for as long as you shake. In 1938 Daeng Soetigna built angklungs on the diatonic scale, so the instrument could play all kinds of melodies. In an ensemble, each player looks after one note and the tune comes from everyone together.
How to use it
- Touch and hold an angklung to make it sound, and let go to stop. Several fingers play several notes; dragging a finger plays one note after another. On a computer, click and hold with the mouse.
- On a computer keyboard, Z X C V B N M play 1 to 7 (C4 to B4) and S D G H J the sharps. Q W E R T Y U play 1̇ to 7̇ (C5 to B5), 2 3 5 6 7 the sharps and I plays C6. Esc stops everything.
- Under Key labels, choose not angka numbers, note names, computer keyboard shortcuts or no labels.
- Press Record, play your tune and press it again to stop. Then listen back, download ↓ MIDI or ↓ WAV, or press Share: the notes travel inside the link.
- On a phone, tap the full screen button and turn the phone sideways: the angklungs get bigger and easier to hold.
Help and explanations
This angklung online puts a whole set on your screen: 25 chromatic angklungs from C4 to C6, natural notes in the front row and sharps in the back row. While your finger, mouse button or key is down, the angklung keeps shaking; release it and the sound stops. Use several fingers to play several notes at once, like a full group. The sound is synthesized on your device, imitating bamboo knocking on the frame about 12 times a second, and nothing is sent to a server.
Not angka: angklung numbers
Not angka is the numbered notation used in Indonesia: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 are do re mi fa sol la ti. Here 1 is always C (do = C). Numbers without a dot run from C4 to B4; a dot above means the octave up, C5 to B5, and the last angklung, C6, has two dots. Sharps show as 1♯, 2♯, 4♯, 5♯ and 6♯ in the back row.
If your sheet says do = G or do = F, the numbers move. In that case switch to note names and play in the song's key, or look for a version in do = C.
Songs to practice
Well-known Indonesian songs are a good start: Bengawan Solo, Ampar-Ampar Pisang, Manuk Dadali, Burung Kakak Tua and Halo-Halo Bandung. Find the not angka sheet, check that it is in do = C and play it number by number. Then hold each note for its full length, just as you would keep shaking a real angklung.
To play as a group, split the notes: each person takes one or two and only comes in when theirs appears. Record a run-through and send the link so everyone can hear how it sounds.
Tips
- In Chord or scale, pick the C major scale: exactly the front row of angklungs lights up.
- Challenge: play the note picks a note for you to find. You can also answer with a real instrument through the microphone.
- Practice note lengths with the metronome: on the angklung, a note lasts as long as you shake it.
- Hold 1, 3 and 5 together (C, E, G) to hear a chord, the way three players in a group shake at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play the angklung online with a computer keyboard?
Z X C V B N M play 1 to 7 (C4 to B4) and S D G H J the sharps. Q W E R T Y U play 1̇ to 7̇ (C5 to B5), 2 3 5 6 7 the sharps and I plays C6. Hold a key to keep the angklung shaking. Esc stops every sound.
What notes does this virtual angklung have?
25 chromatic notes from C4 to C6: 15 natural notes in the front row and 10 sharps in the back row. It is tuned like a piano.
Do I need to install an app?
No. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no sign-up. It also works with a MIDI keyboard through the MIDI input button.
Can I record what I play and send it to someone?
Yes. Press Record, play and stop. Share creates a link with the notes inside, ↓ WAV downloads the audio and ↓ MIDI downloads the notes for notation or music software.