Exploring the playability of “Air Bonang” in Malay gamelan ensemble / Khatriza Ahmad Saffian ... [et al.]

This paper describes our reflections on an investigation of the playability of a Digital Musical Instrument (DMI) of a Malay gamelan bonang, where we explore its practicality, relevancy and reliability for ensemble music making. We present a project involving the Malay gamelan community, where they implemented the DMI named Air Bonang into their musical practices. Using the User-Centred Design (UCD) method, which focuses on the participation of potential users in the design and evaluation process, we engaged three gamelan groups to evaluate Air Bonang in their own musical environment. This exploratory study revealed that using Air Bonang that combines virtual and real-world aspects within the context of gamelan playing poses challenges to communication, presence, and social connectedness. We conclude that designing musical interfaces based on traditional musical instruments must prioritise the authenticity and identity of the musical culture while providing novel means of interaction to elevate musical performance.