Unlike the more frequently used kendang, the bedug is suspended from a frame and played with a padded mallet. The bedug is as large as or larger than the largest kendang and generally has a deeper and duller sound. The drum has pegs holding the two identical heads in place, similar to the Japanesetaiko, and its pitch is not adjustable.
The bedug is not used in most gamelan performances, although it is included in some Yogyakartakendang styles. It is used in special ensembles such as the gamelan sekaten, where it takes the place of the kempul.[4] In some pieces it is played along with the kendang, especially to accompany dancing.
The bedug is commonly used in mosquesinJava among Javanese and Sundanese people to precede the adhan as a sign of the prayer[5] or during Islamic festivals.[2] For example, the sound of a bedug is used to signal the end of the day-long fast during Ramadan and sometimes it is used to signal time for Suhoor during Ramadan.[6] When used to signal time for Friday prayer, the bedug is beaten in a different way than for ordinary prayers.[3]
The bedug is also used to celebrate takbiran, the night before Eid ul-Fitr following chants of takbir.
The tradition is also known among Sarawakian Malays who know it by the name teter.[7]
Among the Muslim Maranao people of the southern Philippines, a similar and smaller drum is used for announcing prayer times, known as the tabuortabo.[8]
^ abc"Beduk". National Arts and Cultural Department. Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2017-02-14. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
