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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 – Origins • • • 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 • • • 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 • • 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 • • • • 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 • • 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 • • 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? • • • 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 • In Gamelan gong kebyar (the genre of Balinese Gamelan music you’ve heard), “4” and “7” are avoided 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) to produce a coherent whole (“layers” of melodies) • 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