Download Gamelan Questions

Gamelan Answers
1. This piece is a sequenced Gamelan performance. The instruments are
not correct. What instruments would you expect to hear in a real
Gamelan? Give 3 examples.
3 MARKS
Saron (a type of metallophone) Gender (Bronze metallophone) Gong
Kendang Gending (Drum) Gambang (similar to a xylophone)
Suling (type of flute) Celempung (harp) Rebab (2 string fiddle)
2. Gamelan is a type of cyclical music. What does this mean?
It repeats in a cycle. In Gamelan the cycle is 16 beats long.
1 MARK
3. What is the texture that you hear in Gamelan Music? 1 MARK
Heterophonic. This means there are decorated versions of the melody all played
at the same time.
4. Which part of the world does Gamelan Music come from? 1 MARK
Indonesia (The islands of Java and Bali to be more specific)
5. This piece uses the Slendro scale. How many different pitches are there
in it?
1 MARK
Slendro uses 5 notes. (The pelog scale uses 7.)
6. Gamelan Music is often used to accompany shadow puppets. How can
changes in the music convey the story? Give an example. 2 MARKS
The mood of the story is reflected in the music, for example a fight might have
loud dynamics, a fast tempo, and a thick texture. (Notice that the words in
bold are the elements of music. Try to use them in questions like this one.)
TOTAL = 9 MARKS
How did you do? Please listen to the track, reread the questions, and reread
your notes and make sure you understand it all!