Agung

The agung is a set of two wide-rimmed, vertically suspended

gongs used by the Maguindanao, Maranao, Sama-Bajau and
Agung
Tausug people of the Philippines as a supportive instrument in
kulintang ensembles. The agung is also ubiquitous among other
groups found in Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Mindanao, Sabah,
Sulawesi, Sarawak and Kalimantan as an integral part of the
agung orchestra.[1]

Contents
Description
Percussion instrument
Origins
Classification Idiophone
Technique
Hornbostel–Sachs 111.241.2
Uses
classification (Sets of
Kulintang ensemble
gongs)
Interactions with the opposite sex
Developed Indonesia
Contest
Signaling and the supernatural
Similar agung instruments
Kulintang ensembles
In agung ensembles
References

Description
The agung is a large, heavy, wide-rimmed gong shaped like a kettle gong. of the agung produces a bass
sound in the kulintang orchestra and weighs between 13 and 16 pounds, but it is possible to find agungs
weigh as low as 5 pounds or as high as 20 or 30 pounds each, depending on the metal (bronze, brass or
iron) used to produce them.

Though their diameters are smaller than the gandingan's, at roughly 22 inches (560  mm) to 24 inches
(610 mm) in length, they have a much deeper turned-in takilidan (rim) than the latter, with a width of 12 to
13 inches (330 mm) including the knob.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

They are hung vertically above the floor at or a bit below the waist line, suspended by ropes fastened to
structures like strong tree limb, beam of a house, ceiling, or gong stand.[4][5][6][8][9][11]

The larger, lower pitched gong of the two is called the pangandungan by the Maguindanao and the
p'nanggisa-an by the Maranao. Played on the musician's right, it provides the main part, which it
predominantly played on the accents of the rhythmic structure.
 The smaller, higher pitched gong, the thicker of the two, is called
the panentekan by the Maguindanao and the p'malsan or
pumalsan by the Maranao. Found on the player's left, it is mainly
played on the weaker double and triple beats of the rhythmic
structure, in counterpoint to the pangandungan's
part. [6][8][9][11][15][16]

The agung. The left gong is the
pangandungan, used for basic beats.
The right gong is the panentekan,
which complements the
pangandungan.
on them".[17]
Origins
Scholars seem to agree that the origins of the agung are in
Indonesia, noting that the word agung/agong is derived from the
Malay agong and Indonesian/Javanese ageng.[11]
Further evidence of this comes from a British explorer, Thomas
Forrest, who in the 1770s wrote Filipinos were "fond of musical
gongs which came from Cheribon on Java and have round knobs

Technique
The agung is usually performed while standing beside the
instrument, holding the upper edge of its flange between the thumb
and other fingers with the left hand while striking the knob with the
right hand. The mallets, called balu, are made from short sticks
about half a foot in length and padded with soft but tough material
such as rubber at one end. Using these balus, players handle the
agung similar to the way a brass tom-tom is
played.[1][2][4][5][6][11][14]

A series of solid, fast decaying sounds are produced using

dampening techniques. The desired effect is produced after striking
the knob, by leaving one's hand or knee or the mallets themselves
on it.[6][11][12] When one player is using two gongs, the assistant
holding the lower-pitched gong positions it at an angle and
dampens its surface using their hands.
An agung player demonstrating the
Recently, new ways of handling the agung have emerged,
new technique of katinengka with his
including grasping a portion of the boss rather than the flange to
beater.
dampen or using regular strokes upon the busel while striking the
surrounding gong surface with the opposite, wooden end of the
beater. The latter technique, called katinengka, is used by
downriver musicians to produce metallic sounds during kulintang performances.[10]

Different combinations of players, gongs and mallets can be used for playing the agung: two players with
each assigned their own gong or just one. When playing alone, the agung player could either play both
gongs with the player holding the higher-pitched gongs face-to-face,[8][9] with the lower one held at an
angle by an assistant for stability,[1] or just one gong. The latter style, common among downriver
Maguindanaos in Simuay, who consider this style an old one, uses only the higher-pitch gong for it, unlike
the lower-pitched gong, is considered the lead gong, therefore having primary importance. An example of
this is when single gong agungs are used during a tagunggo piece.[10]
The number of mallets used by the player could also vary as well. For most occasions, only one mallet is
used but for other techniques, the player could use two mallets, one in each hand. An even more interesting
technique uses only one balu but requires the player to play the agung in reverse order of pitches. Called
patuy,[9] this technique and the one with two mallets are normally reserved only for competition and
exhibition instances.[1]

Uses

Kulintang ensemble

The main use for the agung in Maguindanao and Maranao society
is as a supportive/accompanying instrument of an orthodox
kulintang ensemble. Using basic patterns and interlocking rhythms,
a player would use the agung to complement the melody played by
the kulintang.[6][8][18] The patterns players use are normally
considered freer than either the babendil or the dabakan; players
could manipulate the patterns freely as long as they conform,
reaffirm,[8] reinforce and even generate the rhythmic mode of the
piece.[14] The length of the patterns themselves may vary
depending on how they fit into the melodic improvisation.[15]
Rapid style is useful especially during exhibition of playing
skills.[10]
Playing the agung as part of the
Among both the Maguindanao and the Maranao, the agung kulintang ensemble
embodies all that is masculine and thus the agung is traditionally
considered a masculine instrument. To be considered a good player,
one must possess strength, stamina (playing extremely fast tempos with no mistakes) and endurance.
Players must also exhibit improvisation skills for different patterns to be considered as having quality
musicianship—lest the audience considers the patterns played repetitions and mundane.[4][8][9][11][14][15]

Because of the highly skilled nature required for playing the agung, it is not uncommon to see agung
players have friendly rivalries during a performance,[6] using tricks in an attempt to throw others off-beat.[8]
For instance, if the p’nanggisa's elaborations are so elusive that the p’mals has a hard time ornamenting or if
the reversed happens and the p’mals ornaments to the point the p’nanggisa's performance is engulfed, the
player that cannot keep up is usually embarrassed,[15] becoming the butt of jokes.[8] Normally agung
players switch off after each piece, but during instances like this where one player cannot handle the part
being played, players either remain at their gongs or switch during the performance. It is also possible for
agung players to switch places with the dabakan after two pieces. Even though the players compete, they
still understand they are a single entity, closely accompanying the melody,[15] employ different variations
without destroying the music's basic patterns.[6]

Interactions with the opposite sex

There was also a secondary motive for men, especially young males, for learning the agung: the ability to
interact with young, unmarried women. Both Maranao and Maguindanao cultures traditionally adhere to
Islamic customs which prohibit dating or causal conversation between the opposite sexes (unless married to
or related to by blood)[14] and therefore performances such as kulintang music provided the opportunity for
such a connection.[1] Among the Maguindanao, the rhythmic modes of duyog and sinulog a kamamatuan
allowed agung players to serenade the young, unmarried women on the kulintang.[8] Tidto, the other
rhythmic mode, could also be used but players rarely use this for
serenading since the kulintang player is usually an older
woman.[14]

Contest

The latter mode actually is reserved specifically for solo agung

contest. Unlike other Southern Filipino groups who participate in
group contest, the Maguindanao are unique in that they also hold
solo agung contest[1] to find out who in the community is the best
papagagung (expert agung player).[9] Tidto is prefect for such
contest since the agung is often the focus of attention, the focal
point during the ensemble during this mode.[8] Players normally
perform two or more versions[14] playing the three types of
techniques discussed above.[1]
An agung played during a contest by
a Magui Moro Master Artist using
Signaling and the supernatural two balus.

Other than its use in the kulintang ensemble, the agung also had
other non-ensemble uses among the Maguindanao and Maranao. The agung has been used to warn others
of impending danger, announcing the time of day and other important occasions. For instance, long ago the
sultan would beat the agung repeatedly to announce the onset of a meeting or during the fasting month of
Ramadhan, the agung would ring either at three in the morning to indicate the signal to eat (sawl) or at
sunset, to mark the end for fasting that day. And supposedly due to the deep, loud sound the agung
produces, people believed that it possessed supernatural powers. For instance, during an earthquake, the
locals of Maguindanao would strike the agung in a fast, loud rhythm called baru-baru, believing its
vibrations would either lessen or even halt the jolt of an earthquake.[1][4][5]

Similar agung instruments

Kulintang ensembles

In the Sulu Archipelago, the kulintang orchestra uses not two but three low-sounding agungs, which serve
as accompaniment in Tausug, Samal and Yakan ensembles. For the Tausug and Samal, the largest of the
agungs with a wide turned-in rim is called the tunggalan or tamak , which provides slow, regular beats,
similar to the Maguindanaon pangandungan and Maranao p’nanggisa-an. The smaller pair of agungs, the
duahan, syncopate with the tunggalan/tamak. These are further classified: the wider-rimmed duahan is
called the pulakan and the narrower one is called the huhugan or buahan by the Tausug and bua by the
Samal.[14][19][20]

In agung ensembles

Agungs also play a major role in agung orchestras—ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended or
held,[1] knobbed gongs which act as drones without any accompanying melodic instrument like a
kulintang.[19][21] Such orchestras are prevalent among Indigenous Philippine groups (Bagobo,[22]
Bilaan,[23] Bukidon, Hanunoo,[2][24] Magsaka, Manabo, Mangyan,[2] Palawan, Subanun, Suludnon,
T’boli, Tagakaolu, Tagbanwa[2] and the Tiruray),[19] regions in Kalimantan and Indonesia (Iban, Modang,

A Tiruray agung ensemble, called a
karatung, demonstrated at San
Francisco State University
Murut) and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia (Bidayuh, Iban,
Kadazan-Dusun, Kajan, Kayan), places where agung orchestras
take precedence over kulintang-like orchestras. The composition
and tuning of these orchestras vary widely from one group to
another.[19][25] For instance, the Hanunoo of Mindoro have a
small agung ensemble consisting of only two light gongs played
by two musicians on the floor in a simple duple rhythm[2][24]
while the Manobo have an ensemble (called an ahong)
consisting of 10 small agungs hung vertically on a triangular
frame. It includes three musicians: one standing up, playing the
melody, and the rest sitting. The ahong is divided by purpose,
with the higher-pitched gongs (kaantuhan) carrying the melody,
three to four lower-pitched gongs (gandingan) playing melodic
ostinato figures, and the lowest-pitched gong (bandil) setting the
tempo.[26]

The Tiruray call their agung ensemble a kelo-agung, kalatong, or

karatung. It is made up of five shallow bossed gongs of graduating
size, each played by one person. The smallest, the segaron, is used
as the lead instrument, providing a steady beat.[1][21] The Manobo
sagabong ensemble follows a similar format, consisting of five
small gongs, each held by one musician playing a unique pattern
with rubber mallets, interlocking with other parts.[26] The T’boli
and Palawan have similar agung ensembles: the T’boli ensemble is
composed of three to four agungs with two to three of them
collectively called semagi which play variations, and the other An antique bronze karatung set
agung, tang, providing a steady beat. The Palawan call their
ensemble, composed of four gongs, a basal. It includes one to two
large humped, low-sounding agungs and a pair of smaller humped, higher-pitched sanangs which produce
metallic sounds.[19][27][28][29] The Subanon also have an agung ensemble similar to the Tiruray karatung,
called a gagung sua.[10]

Both the Bagabo and the B’laan refer to their agung ensemble as a tagunggo, a set of eight metal gongs
suspended on a harness, which is played by two, three, or more people. Seven of the smaller-sized gongs
produce a running melody with the eighth, largest gong playing syncopation with the other gongs to
produce a particular rhythm.[22][23] The Manabo also have an agung ensemble similar to the tagunggo,
called a tagungguan.[26]

The Kadazan-Dusun, located on the western coast of Sabah, refer to their agung ensemble as a tawag or
bandil, which consists of six to seven large gongs in shoreline groups and 7–8 large gongs for those in
interior valleys. In southwestern Sarawak, Bidayuh agung ensembles consist of nine large gongs divided
into four groups (taway, puum, bandil, and sanang), while among the Iban of Sawarak, Brunei,
Kalimantan, agung ensembles are smaller in comparison.
Such ensembles can either perform alone or with
one or two drums, played with the hands or wooden sticks, as accompaniment. They play either
homophonically or in an interlocking fashion with the gongs. These agung orchestras often perform at
many types of social events, including agriculture rituals, weddings, victory celebrations, curing rites, rituals
for the dead, entertainment for visitors, and other community rituals.[19][21][25][26]

Historically among the main lowland Philippine groups (Tagalog, Visayan, Kapampangan, Ilocano) agung
orchestras similar to the ones found today among non-hispanised indigenous groups in the country, were
among the main instrumental ensembles used up until the 17th century, as evidenced by the agung
ensemble encountered by Pigafetta in Cebu in the 16th century, similar in set up (two sanang, two agung
and one gimbal) to the basal ensemble of the Palawan people.

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