It is struck with a padded stick and then allowed to resonate.

It has a specific pitch, which can be varied by covering the slit, but it is not matched to the other instruments of the gamelan.

They are used to accompany the bedhaya and serimpi, female court dances.

In the region of Cirebon on the Northwest Coast of Java, Kemanak are played in pairs by striking one against the other in a repetitive fashion.

Unlike in Central Java, Kemanak in Cirebon are not reserved for specific performance idioms and are considered indispensable in the standard Gamelan repertoire.