Download balinese gamelan music

BALINESE GAMELAN MUSIC
Gamelan – What is it?
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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 – Origins
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Predates the Hindu-Buddhist
culture that dominated Indonesia
in its earliest records
The instruments are developed
into their current form during the
Majapahit Empire (approx. 1293 1500) mainly in Java
Since fourteenth century, religion
of Islam was introduced into Java
and other parts of Indonesia
Gamelan – Origins
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Coincides with the fall of the
Majapahit Empire
Java was soon under Islamic rulers
Those who wished to remain
Hindu moved to Bali, where they
remained relatively isolated for
hundreds of years
Gamelan – Origins
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Gamelan music (in Java) under
Islamic rulers soon changed to be
more subdued, more refined as
court music to be performed
indoors
Gamelan music (in Bali) retained
the raw energy and fast rhythmic
pacing as music to be performed
outdoors for festive occasions
Gamelan – Purpose
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Mainly to accompany rituals,
festive occasions and wayang
In Java, it is also used as court
music for the royals
In Bali, it is used during festive
occasions and celebrations in
temples
Gamelan music must be
performed by a group of
musicians, a demonstration of the
emphasis on the community spirit
inherent in both Javanese and
Balinese societies
Balinese Gamelan – Tuning
of the musical ensemble
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Each Gamelan ensemble (both
Javanese and Balinese) is tuned
within itself, hence no
instrument from another
Gamelan ensemble can be used
Of special consideration in a
Balinese Gamelan ensemble is
that instruments which are
commonly played in pairs are
tuned slightly apart to produce
interference “beats”
Balinese Gamelan – Tuning
of the musical ensemble
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This most likely contributes to
the very "busy" and
"shimmering" sound of Balinese
Gamelan music
These interference “beats” are
meant to give the listener a
feeling of a god's presence or a
stepping stone to a meditative
state
Gamelan – How is it
notated?
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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
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Recall – Major and/or Minor
scale in Western Music
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Major pentatonic scale in
Chinese Guqin music and minor
pentatonic scale in Japanese
Shakuhachi music
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In both Balinese and Javanese
Gamelan music, the slendro and
pelog scales are used
Gamelan – Commonly used
pitches
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Slendro scale, an approximation using
Western notation
Pelog scale, , an approximation using
Western notation
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Usually, only 5 pitches are used
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In Gamelan gong kebyar (the genre of
Balinese Gamelan music you’ve heard),
“4” and “7” are avoided
Gamelan Music – Musical Essentials
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Western Music – Focus is on
Harmony
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Recall 12-bar blues – Bass progression
(foundation of Harmony) is the “identity”
and “driving force”
Gamelan Music – Focus is on
interlocking units (melodic
motifs) to produce a coherent
whole (“layers” of melodies)
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Reflects the societal emphasis on the
community rather than the individual
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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