Gamelan and West African Drumming Flashcards
Where did Gamelan originate from?
Gamelan originated from Indonesia
What events does Gamelan music play during?
Gamelan traditionally accompanies worship and theatre, particularly puppet theatre.
Gamelan is considered to be sacred. What don’t musicians do because of this and why?
Players take their shoes off to play and are not allowed to step over the instruments; this is seen as breaking
the connection between the gamelan and God.
What instruments are used in Gamelan music?
Gongs, Metallophone and Kendang.
What is Gamelan music built on?
Gamelan music is built on repeating patterns of notes called ostinati (singular: ostinato).
Drumming is an important form of music-making in West Africa. What events will drums be played at?
Drumming often accompanies ritual dances such as for births, weddings, funerals, or communication between villages. In cities cultural centres may organise performances for tourists.
What types of African drum are there?
Types of African drums include djembe and talking drum. The talking drum can make a very wide variety of sounds, allowing it to mimic the sound of human speech.
What player do both Gamelan and African music have and what do they do?
Both Gamelan and African drumming feature a master drummer. This person is in charge of the structure of the music.
How many notes are in a scale in both African and Gamelan music?
Gamelan and African music both feature the pentatonic scale. This is a scale of 5 notes.
Heterophony is an important texture in both styles of music. What is heterophony?
Heterophony is the simultaneous playing or singing of two or more versions of the same melody
Call and Response features heavily in Gamelan and African drumming. What is call and Response?
A leader sings/plays a phrase, and a group of singers/players responds with the same phrase or an answering phrase.
How are both Gamelan and West African drumming passed on to the next generation?
Gamelan and African music are passed on in the oral tradition. This means the music is not written down – rather, the music is passed from generation to generation through verbal teaching and demonstration
