GLOBAL SOUND BITES~ A LISTENING PERSPECTIVE ON WORLD CULTURES ~

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” of melodies 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

Name: _____________________________________ Class: ______________ Date: ________________________

Pelog Scale: 1 2 3 5 6Approximated by E F G B C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi

Soprano 1 - 1 - 6 1 - 6 1 - 5 - 6 5 - 6 5 - 6 - 5 6 - 5 6 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 1

Soprano 2 6 - 5 6 - 5 6 - 6 - 1 6 - 1 6 - 5 - 3 5 - 3 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 2 -

Alto 6 1 6 5 1 6 5 3 2 1

Bass 1 1 5 6 1

Bass 2 5 1

Gong / Drum T

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi

Soprano 1 - 3 - 2 3 - 2 3 - 2 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 6 - 5 6 - 5 6 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 5

Soprano 2 2 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 1 - 6 1 - 6 1 - 2 - 4 5 - 3 5 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 3 -

Alto 2 3 1 2 5 6 3 5

Bass 1 3 2 6 5

Bass 2 2 5

Gong / Drum G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi

Soprano 1 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XSoprano 2 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XAlto X X X X X X X X X X Bass 1 X X X XBass 2 X XGong / Drum X

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi ta ka di mi

Soprano 1 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XSoprano 2 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XAlto X X X X X X X X X X Bass 1 X X X XBass 2 X XGong / Drum X