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INSTRUMENTS

Gamelan

Metallophones and Tubulons.

These instruments are based on the Javanese pelog scale, given in cents as:

     0, 137, 446, 575, 687, 820, 1098, 1200
I first experimented with a 9-equal tubulon, which provides a slight approximation of a pelog and a sulendro scale. After being satisfied with that, I made a pelog tubulon with some 1 1/4" conduit which had made its way into my recycling pile. Having determined I had enough metal bars, I went deluxe in acquiring some pieces of neglected maple to make the cabinents. The set consists of one gender with gourd resonators and two sarons with cave resonators.

One thing I didn’t like was the sound metal cans made as resonators, and so I turned to that annoying box of gourds I had fortunately kept on hand for years.

Also pictured is a 5-et marimba, also with gourd resonators, and some waterphones. I’ve always found acoustical instruments demanding. But in both cases, the marimba and the gamelan, they were in scales that I became interested in, and neither became a huge drain on resources of time, materials, and space.

— Buzzy

   gamelan