How the agung a tamlang makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the agung a tamlang belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The agung a tamlang is a type of Philippine slit drum made of hollowed out bamboo in imitation of the real agung. Pitch is determined by the length and depth of the slit. It is used as practice for the real agung: players either use either one agung a tamlang (hold it with one hand and using the other to strike it with a beater) or using two agung a tamlangs where the other agung is held with one’s feet.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does an agung a tamlang sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the agung a tamlang?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.243).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q4694587 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Agung a tamlang – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Philip Dominguez Mercurio PhilipDM – CC BY-SA 3.0