BALINESE GAMELAN MUSIC Gamelan What is it Traditional

BALINESE GAMELAN MUSIC

Gamelan – What is it? • • • Traditional Indonesian musical ensemble, mainly in Bali and Java Consists of following instruments: metallophones, xylophones, kendang (drums), gongs, bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings Of special consideration are the metallophones and gongs as highly developed percussion instruments made of bronze / metal are featured prominently in the indigenous music of Southeast Asia

Gamelan – What is it?

Gamelan – How is it notated? • • • Traditionally, no notation and learnt through oral tradition However, in modern times kepatihan notation is used In this notation, the pitches corresponding to a particular note / “bar” on the metallophones are numbered

Gamelan – Commonly used pitches • Recall – Major and/or Minor scale in Western Music • Major pentatonic scale in Chinese Guqin music and minor pentatonic scale in Japanese Shakuhachi music • In both Balinese and Javanese Gamelan music, the slendro and pelog scales are used

Gamelan – Commonly used pitches • • Slendro scale, an approximation using Western notation Pelog scale, , an approximation using Western notation • Usually, only 5 pitches are used.

Gamelan Music – Musical Essentials • Western Music – Focus is on Harmony • • Recall 12 -bar blues – Bass progression (foundation of Harmony) is the “identity” and “driving force” Gamelan Music – Focus is on interlocking units (melodic motifs) and “adding layers” (“layers” ofmelodies at “different speeds”) to produce a coherent whole • Reflects the societal emphasis on the community rather than the individual • Balinese Gamelan musicians relish practising hard to be able to change the tempo (speed) and dynamics suddenly as an ensemble

Gamelan Music – An example of a notated score