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kempyang

The kempyang of the gamelan sekati K.K. Gunturmadu.

A pair of small, horizontally-resting bronze gongs each with a turned back rim and a raised central boss. Struck with two thinly-padded stick beaters. Produces two penetrating high-register pitches simultaneously. Only pélog gamelans have a kempyang. Note that the kempyang looks very much like the kemong found in sléndro gamelans (see image below); they differ in that the kemong pair of gongs are of the setren type (relatively flat top) and the kempyang of the jaler type (relatively peaked top).

The kemong (left) of the gamelan sléndro K.K. Midarsih and the kempyang (right) of the gamelan pélog K.K. Mikatsih.
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