Slenthem
Slenthem is one of the gamelan instruments consisting of thin sheet metal width is strung with rope and stretched over the tube-tube and produce a low hum or echo that follows the tone saron, ricik, and balungan when beaten. Some have called it as a gender penembung. As with other instruments in a set of gamelan, slenthem certainly have slendro version and version pelog. Wilahan Slenthem pelog generally have a range of tones C to B, while slenthem slendro range tones C, D, E, G, A, C ‘.
How to Play
How to beat the same as beating balungan slenthem, ricik, or saron. Right hand and left hand swing pemukulnya do “patet”, which is holding the vibration at the sheet metal. In beating the much needed slenthem instinct or feeling the drummers to produce an echo or a good buzz. In the notation C, D, E, G for example, echoes that are produced when beating the C must be missing the right tone when the tone sounded D, and so on.
For penabuhan tempo, which used the same way as when using balungan, ricik, and saron. But for certain circumstances such as demung returns, then slenthem played to fill the void between a tone that sounded balungan slow to beat twice balungan beats. Or it could be on slenthem conditions must exist balungan beating and a half times as fast balungan being beaten, for example when gendhing Gangsaran the battle scene.