The kacapi is a traditional zither used by the Sundanese people in Indonesia. It is similar to other stringed instruments such as the Chinese guzheng, Japanese koto, Mongolian yatga, Korean gayageum, Vietnamese đàn tranh, and Kazakh jetigen. The kacapi is played as the main accompanying instrument in musical styles like tembang Sunda or Mamaos Cianjuran, in kacapi suling (a type of tembang Sunda without singing), in pantun storytelling, and as an additional instrument in gamelan degung performances.

In the Sundanese language, the word "kacapi" also means the santol tree, which was originally believed to be the source of the wood used to make the instrument.

Form

There are two types of kacapi based on their shape and structure:

The kacapi parahu, also called kacapi gelung, is a resonance box with an open bottom to let sound escape. Its sides narrow from the top to the bottom, giving it a boat-like shape. In ancient times, it was made from solid wood by drilling holes.

The kacapi siter is a resonance box with parallel sides. Like the kacapi parahu, it has a hole at the bottom. Its top and bottom surfaces form a trapezoid shape.

For both types, each string is attached to a small screw or peg on the top right side of the box. The strings can be tuned using different systems: pelog, sorog/madenda, or slendro. Sometimes, the kacapi siter is tuned to the Western diatonic scale for modern music.

Today, the resonance box of the kacapi is made by gluing six wooden plates together side by side.

Traditionally, the kacapi is played while sitting cross-legged on the floor. This places the strings about 25 cm above the floor. Now, it is sometimes placed on a wooden frame so the player can sit on a chair. If the kacapi indung is played on the floor, a pillow or small object is often placed under its left side to allow sound to escape through the bottom hole. Some kecapi have small feet to avoid needing a pillow.

Functions

The kacapi is played in two main ways based on its role in music:

• Kacapi Indung (also called "mother kacapi")
• Kacapi Anak (also called "child kacapi" or "Kacapi Rincik")

The Kacapi Indung is the main instrument in the accompaniment. It plays the beginning parts, transitions between sections, and short musical breaks. It also sets the speed of the music. A large kacapi with 18 or 20 strings is used for this role.

The Kacapi Rincik adds more notes between the main notes, especially in songs with a steady rhythm, such as kacapi suling or Sekar Panambih. It uses higher-pitched sounds to make the music fuller. A smaller kacapi with about 15 strings is used for this purpose.

Tuning and notation

The kacapi uses different scales, such as Saléndro, Degung, Madenda, and other versions of these scales. Wisaya nad Mandalungan can be played if the suling has more holes. See the table below.

The range of notes in the Degung scale, from the lowest to the highest sound, is: (Listen)

The kacapi is adjusted to match the sounds of a suling that is 60 cm long. This length helps approximate how the tuning matches Western musical scales.

The picture below shows how the tuning and notation described earlier are used.

Recitation of pantun stories

The exact time when the kacapi began to be used with pantun stories is unknown. A Sundanese dictionary from 1976 lists the main meaning of the word "pantun" as "kacapi." This may suggest that the connection between the kacapi and pantun stories has existed for many years. A saying from 1949 compares someone who gives advice but does not follow it to "a pantun without a kacapi." This saying shows that the kacapi is considered the standard instrument for pantun recitations. The Baduy Sundanese people in Banten Province continue to use the kacapi exclusively to accompany their pantun stories.