Kemanak is a banana-shaped idiophone used in Javanese gamelan, made of bronze. They are actually metal slit drums. It is stuck with a padded stick and then allowed to resonate. It has a specific pitch, which can be varied by covering the slit, but it is not matched to the other instruments of the gamelan. They are usually played in pairs, although they can be played in sets of four as well. They are used to accompany the bedhaya and serimpi, female court dances.

Kemanak is also a style of gendhing which includes, in addition to kemanak, only colotomic instruments, a kendang, and a sindhen.

References

• Kunst, Jaap. The Origin of the Kemanak. 'S-Gravenhage, Martinus Nijhoff, 1960.