Indonesian Gamelan music Flashcards
Gamelan?
gamelan essentially means “ensemble” or “orchestra”. Though Gamelans usually consist of many instruments, each gamelan is conceived as a single instrument. Unity in Diversity(Indonesia’s slogan)
Types of Gamelan
Gamelan beleganjur-is a processional ensemble(like a marching band, they walk as they perform).Gamelan beleganjur has payed an important role in Balinese ritual and ceremonial life for many centuries
Central Javanese court gamelan(gamelan kraton)-best known type of of gamelan internationally. The gamelan traditions associated with the royal courts of the cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta;along with Balinese gamelan gong kebyar, the best known type of gamelan internationally.
Balinese Hinduism
is known as either Agama Hindu(Hindu religion) or Agama Tirta(Religion of the Holy Water) which is in fact a syncretic faith blending elements of Hinduism and Buddhism
Bali’s tourist industry
Bali is home to a very large tourist industry. In Bali, Kecak is promoted as authentic traditional Balinese drama. Yet it is a modern invention through the collaboration of Balinese musicans, dancers and a German painter(Walter spies), connected to his film, Island of Demons. Kecak eventually became a dramatic production for tourists.
Common features of Balinese gamelan gong kebyar vs. Central Javanese court gamelan
related types of instruments (bronze gongs, bronze metallophones, drums, end-blown bamboo flutes, bowed chordophones),
basis in cyclic musical forms, related tuning systems, scales, modes, multipart texture(higher pitched is faster. Lower pitch is slower),
melodic organization(main, slow-moving melody played on one or more instruments(core melody) is embellished by faster moving melodies played on other instruments, close associations with various forms of dance, dance-drama and other arts(shadow puppetry), common historical foundation in hindu religious cultures; reflected symbolically in music
Kebyar means “to flare up”(like a match), though it is sometimes translated to lightning
The Javanese Court Gamelan captures the majestic, expansive Central Javanese Court gamelan. The music evokes royal splendow of courts long ago, when gamelan music served as potent symbols of power, legitimacy and perceived semidivine status of Javanese rules in royal court life.
While kebyar is more energetic. It captures the signature gamelan sound: resonant bronze gongs, shimmering bronze-keyed metallophones, fast-paced melodies played on metallophone instruments nd sets of small tuned gongs, intricate drumming while being very energetic.
Kilitan telu
set of three interlocking rhythmic patterns that are an integral component of much Balinese music; basis of the interlocking cymbal patterns in gamelan beleganjur music and of the interlocking vocal patterns in Kecak
Kecak
-Balinese dance drama that employs a gamelan suara(gamelan voices) as its sole musical accompaniment;music features complex interlicking rhythms derived from the kilitan telu.
Paired tunings
(“male” and “female”)-in the gamelan gong kebyar owes much of its shimmering quality to the unique paired tuning. There is either one or two pairs of gansga(a number of metallophone instruments) in each octave range. One instrument is identified as female and the other male.
The tuning of the pitches of the male and female instruments of a Balinese gamelan to slightly different frequencies;striking the “same” pitch simultaneously on a male-female pair creates ombak;female instruments of each pair are tuned lower than their male countrerparts
Beleganjur music and its organization (gilak base, layering, etc.)
The basic gong cycle (i.e., the recurring sequence of strokes
on different gongs that serves as the music’s foundation).
- The relationship between the music’s core melody and the elaboration of that melody in other instrumental parts.
- The standard rhythms and interlocking rhythmic and melodic patterns employed.
-The stratified structure of the music, in which higher- pitched instruments play at faster rates than lower-pitched ones.
Gangsa-type metallophones of a gamelan gong kebyar.

-Basic tempo keeping instrument is the kajar(from the root ajar, “to line things up”)
_____________
-root foundation is a gong cycle of eight beats called gilak
(two very large gongs called gong ageng/great gongs and also a medium sized gong, the kempur) play the root foundation
- The lowest gong is identified as the female gong
- an additional clangy-sounding called the bende (usually added to the gong cycle)
- reyong: higher-pitched hand held gongs
- interlocking pattern is called kilitan telu
The function of gamelan beleganjur
Gamelan beleganjur often play a key role in ritual activities enacted to combat the forces of evil. Gamelan beleganjur is said to have the power to frighten evil spirits, who it is hoped will be inclined to leave in fear, rather than face human adversaries equipped with potent sonic weapons.
Beleganjur music functions most importantly in Hindu-Balinese cremation rituals(ngaben). Cremation is the first step to free the soul/atma, so the soul can move to the after-life. The body is first buried before being ritually prepared to be cremated. The procession involves the participation of the neighborhood organization(banjar), which are responsible for the event. Diseased souls considered in a dangerous position since they are vulnerable to evil spirits. Men and females sing sacred verses(kidung), who also gather closely to the tower. Although the singing is not related to gamelan beleganjur music, the singing and beleganjur music together create a rame(accent up on e)/ crowdedness which is important in almost every balinese ritual. The deceased body is placed at the top of the tower(which represents lower, mid, and high world). But music is not enough, tower needs to be spun(3x) at every crossroad since evil spirits can only go straight.
Balinese caste system
In the Balinese system, there are four castes: the priestly caste, the warrior caste, the merchant caste, and the commoner caste (sudra— literally “outsider”). About 90 percent of Balinese Hindus belong to the commoner caste. There is no “Untouchables”
Gamelan beleganjur contest style- an elusive balance
AKA Kreasi beleganjur(new creation beleganjur). It is flashy, fast, complex, inventive, full of musical contrasts and surprises and enhanced by elaborate pageantry, colourful costumes, and impressive choreographed movement sequences(AKA gerak which means movement), despite this it remains strongly rooted in the musical soil of traditional beleganjur
key to winning a kreasi contest is finding a balance between traditional beleganjur and modern beleganjur in a kreasi beleganjur contest piece
Lomba beleganjur
the modern beleganjur contest.
-features numerous beleganjur groups from different districts competing formally
-the lomba beleganjur was created due to the resurfacing of a heroic warrior’s image in 1980.
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Kreasi beleganjur(CD 2-15-by I Ketut Sukarata). What is it?
)-this is a contest style-“new creation beleganjur” a dramatic neo-traditional beleganjur style(it is not function for purpose, but instead is flashy…however it remains with the traditional beleganjur style. Purpose is to impress and entertain.
Gerak
literally means movement, in text, refers to the choreographed moements performed by the musicians in beleganjur contests;associated with kreasi beleganjur
