MUSIC in CENTRAL JAVA Gamelan Tunings in Theory, There Are No Two

Home , Aerophone, Idiophone, Imbal, Irama, Membranophone, Metallophone

MUSIC IN CENTRAL JAVA Text by Benjamin Brinner Instructional Materials by J. Bryan Burton

Activities are keyed as follows: AA = all ages E = elementary students (particularly grade 3-6) S = secondary (middle school and high school, grades 7-12) C/U = College and university

Chapter 3 Gamelan, Tuning, and Instrumental Melody

Gamelan Tunings

In theory, there are no two gamelans that sound alike, due to both the complexities of hand forging and tuning decisions. The following questions guide classroom learning for page 52.

1. Describe the reasons that, in theory, no two gamelan sound alike. 2. Why are instruments in one gamelan not interchangeable with those in another? 3. Under what circumstances are gamelans tuned alike?

Tuning Systems: Sléndro and Pélog

Tuning variability is constrained by two categories or systems named pélog and sléndro. The following questions and activities guide classroom learning for pages 53-54.

1. How many pitches are in pélog? 2. How many pitches are in sléndro? 3. Briefly describe the Javanese method of notation called kepatihan. 4. Why do many gamelans have two sets of instruments? 5. Which types of instruments do “double duty” in a gamelan?

Listening Interlude 1:

(1) Listen to the pitches of sléndro and pélog as played on CD track 22. Discuss what differences are perceived during your hearing. (2) Listen to the two pentatonic subsets of pélog played on CD track 22. Again, discuss what you hear. (3) Listen to CD track 23. Compare the performances noting the differences between the example played in pélog versus sléndro, then compare the performances in sléndro played by two differently tuned gamelan. (4) Listen to CD track 24. Discuss what differences you hear between the Javanese tunings and the closest pitches in Western equal “temperament.”

13 Gamelan Instruments

Most of the instruments in a gamelan are idiophones, including gongs, keyed metallophones,and a type of xylophone. There are also chordophones such as the rebab, aerophones such as the suling, and various sizes of membranophone such as the kendhang. The following questions and activities guide classroom learning for pages 55-59.

1. Briefly describe the gongs commonly found in the gamelan. Include differences in size and range. 2. Briefly describe the keyed metallophones known as saron. Include information on construction, size, range, and playing techniques. 3. Briefly describe the three variants of keyed metallophone with thinner keys. Include name, construction, and playing technique. 4. Use Chart 3.1 below to list instruments of the gamelan by classification.

Chart 3.1 Instruments of the Gamelan

Classification Instrument Idiophone

Chordophone

Aerophone

Membranophone

Instrumental Melody

Melody in gamelan music varies between two radically different performance conceptions: the melodic nuance and free rhythms of unaccompanied song, and the strictly regulated time- delineating rhythms of gong and drum ensemble. The following questions and activities guide classroom learning for pages 59-66.

S,C/U

1. Describe the form of gangsaran. Why could it be said that there is no melody in gang saran? 2. Within the sound world of traditional Javanese gamelan music, there are numerous constraints on lagu (“melody, tune, or song”). Using Chart 3.2, describe each of the three primary constraints on lagu.

14 Chart 3.2

Laras (tuning system) Pathet (mode)

Structure

3. Discuss why the author states that there is no standard interpretation of melody in Javanese musical practice. 4. Discuss the role a goal-oriented approach to melody plays in melodic conceptualization. Include an explanation of séléh (notes serving as goals). 5. Discuss the role of contour in melodic conceptualization. Look at Figure 3.7A showing a graph of mallet motions required to play the basic saron melody of “Lancaran Singa Nebah” in pélog and in sléndro, reading from top to bottom. Notice the contour of the movement—younger students may place a clean sheet of paper over this figure and trace the contour for easier visualization. How is the contour “anchored” to certain pitches? 6. After comparing the melodies in Figure 3.7/Handout 3.1, identify differences in these melodies and discuss the explanation on pages 64 and 65 on how notes may be substituted to account for these differences.

Figure 3.7A/Handout 3.1

15 Listening Interlude 2:

(1) Listen to CD track 19 and CD track 26 which present versions of “Lancaran Singa Nebah” played in pélog and sléndro. (2) Following the notation given in Figure 3.7B/Handout 3.2, or in Figure 3.7A/Handout 3.1, try to sing the melody during a subsequent listening to these tracks. (3) Discuss what you hear and what you have experienced to determined some of the basic differences between pélog and sléndro. Particularly note differences in interval size.

Figure 3.7B/Handout 3.2

Melody and Elaboration

Balungan commonly refers to the type of melody usually played on the medium and large saron as well as the slenthem. This is the part most often notated and is the only melody played by several musicians. The following questions and activities guide classroom learning for pages 66-73.

AA = 1, 5-6, S,C/U = 2-4, 7-10

1. What is the literal meaning of “balungan”? Why is this term used?

Listening Interlude 3:

(1) Listen to CD track 13 while following the transnotation in Figure 3.9/Handout 3.3. (2) Can you identify the fragment 53536567? (3) How is this fragment performed? (4) When does the bonang change to the séléh in relation to other instruments?

Figure 3.9/Handout 3.3

2. What technique does a bonang player utilize when the drummer slows the pace and switches from irama ½ to irama 1? 3. What technique does bonang player utilize when the drummer causes musicians to shift to a slower, more expansive irama? 4. After a thorough discussion of the final paragraph of text on page 67, continue to Listening Interlude 4.

Listening Interlude 4:

(1) Look at Figure 3.10/Handout 3.4. Write out the appropriate parts for peking and bonang for the balungan 7653 played in irama 1. (2) Listen to CD track 19 at 0:29 and listen for these parts. (3) Listen to CD track 19 at 0:29 and follow the parts you have written.

Figure 3.10/Handout 3.4

5. How many beats are in the colotomic structure of “Landrang Amsaradana? 6. Describe the performance of the introduction to this ladrang. 7. Describe mipil elaboration (refer to page 67 if needed). 8. Describe impal eleaboration (refer to page 69 if needed). 9. Describe sekaran (flower patterns) elaboration refer to page 69 if needed).

Listening Interlude 5:

(1) After defining the three types of elaboration, listen to CD track 27 and identify the elaboration patterns employed by bonang players. (2) After the drummer switches to ciblon, listen for a shift to imbal a few seconds later (3) After the drummer switches back to kendhang gendhin and ketipung at 1:22, listen for bonang shift to mipil. (4) When does the drummer actually change to irama 2? (5) To hear an example of sekaran, listen to CD track 26 beginning at 0:19. See notated example in Figure 3.11/Handout 3.5.

Figure 3.11/Handout 3.5

10. Following a through discussion of the materials on pages 70-71, move on to Listening Interlude 6.

Listening Interlude 6:

(1) As you listen to CD track 27, follow the notation in Figure 3.12/Handout 3.6. (2) Write the time code indicating each change of speed. (3) Identify the type of drum you hear in each irama (medium-size ciblon or pair of large and small drums) (4) Identify points at which mipil and impal are played on bonang. Identify which type of elaboration is heard is each irama. (5) Note when male chorus and female singers perform (alone or together)

Figure 3.12/Handout 3.6