Computational analysis of the Bundengan, an endangered musical instrument from Indonesia

Abstract

The Bundengan, an endangered Indonesian musical instrument, was first developed and played by duck herders. The dome-shaped resonator, which also protects the herders from adverse weather, is made from a specially woven grid of bamboo splits, covered with layers of bamboo sheaths, held in place with sugar palm fibre straps. Inside the resonator are a set of long, thin bamboo plates and a set of strings equipped with small bamboo clips, which vibrate together with the strings. When playing, the Bundengan player uses one hand to pluck the clipped strings and the other to pluck the bamboo plates. The clipped strings generate metal-like sounds, while the bamboo plates generate drum-like sounds. Hence, the Bundengan can imitate the sound of gamelan, a traditional Indonesian instrumental ensemble. Bundengan players report difficulties to tune this instrument and to keep it in tune for a long time. We develop simulations to help Bundengan musicians better understand this instrument. The first simulation quantitatively predicts how the bamboo clips influence the frequencies of the clipped strings. The second one quantitatively predicts how the shape of the resonator affects the soundscape of the Bundengan. These simulations also allow for a more precise procedure to build the instrument.