celempung
Quick Summary
The celempung is a large, ornate Indonesian zither, typically featuring 13 pairs of strings. It is played by plucking the strings with the thumbnails, with each pair tuned identically and treated as a single string. This instrument is often found in a gamelan ensemble, a traditional Indonesian orchestra. The celempung is known for its metal strings and is designed to stand on legs, sloping towards the player for ease of use. It is an elaborating instrument within the gamelan, adding ornaments to the main musical theme. The instrument's name is derived from Javanese words such as calempung and celempung.12
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