The kulintang is a set of eight knobbed gongs in graduated sizes, which is traditionally made of brass. The size ranges from biggest to smallest with the biggest having the lowest pitch and the smallest having the highest pitch.
The gongs are suspended horizontally on two thick parallel strings tied at both ends to a box-like wooden frame called an antangan.
The height of the wooden frame is just a couple of inches higher than the seat of a regular dining chair. Small wooden bridges are placed across the frame beneath the strings to support the weight of the heavy gongs. The antangan is usually decorated with carvings or painted with traditional Maguindanaon designs.
The kulintang is played by striking the knob with a pair of light wooden sticks about a foot in length and, an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. In Maguindanaon dialect the knob of the gong is called busel while the wooden sticks used in playing are called basal.
This instrument is traditionally played by a woman. It is thought that a good kulintang player should be able to play without looking at the gongs as she strikes them.
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