Tingklik -  A Balinese xylophone made of 11 bamboo pipes tuned to a pentatonic scale and played with rubber-tipped mallets. You can get a little more than two octaves from the instrument. Unlike piano where the chords or bass line are played in the lower register with the left hand and the melody above with the right hand, melody on the tingklik is played with the left hand on the low notes while the right hand plays complex rhythmic cycles in a higher register. It is also possible to play chords on the instrument by using three or more mallets.

We once saw a Balinese tingklik ensemble that had several giant tingkliks on the back of flat bed trucks. The bamboo was so enormous that it took two musicians to play each tingklik while seated on the frame of the instrument. Truly an amazing sound and a most enjoyable instrument to play.

Back to Home Page

Copyright © Ranga Pae - All rights reserved