A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the gong suwukan and gong ageng, hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets. There are usually several kempul in each pélog and sléndro; however, there are frequently some notes missing and thus they have to share a kempul (usually at a related interval, like a fifth). The appropriate kempul depends on the balungan, the pathet (mode), and other considerations.
The kempul in Javanese gamelan has a colotomic function, similar to the kenong. In the longest structure, gendhing, no kempul is used. In shorter structures, such as ketawang, the kempul is used to divide the nongans (kenong strokes). In the shortest, wayang structures, the kenong plays on every other kenong hit.
The similar instrument in Sundanese gamelan is the jengglong and in the Maguindanao kulintang is the gandingan. Kempur is the Balinese name for the gong suwukan.
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