What is Gamelan?
The term gamelan refers to the ensemble of percussion instruments on which traditional gamelan music of Java and Bali is played. A complete Javanese court-style gamelan comprises two sets of instruments, one for each tuning system: sléndro (a five-tone scale) and pélog (a seven-tone scale). Within each of these tunings are three pathet, a Javanese concept referring to both mode and mood. No two gamelans are tuned exactly alike; each ensemble is unique and may often be given a name.
How does it work?
The layout of the gamelan reflects the role of the different instruments in the music. In the middle of the gamelan, the balungan (or ‘skeleton’ melody) is played on the bronze metallophones (saron family and slenthem).
The balungan is punctuated by the larger gongs (gong ageng and kempul) and the horizontally-mounted gongs (kenong, kethuk and kempyang) at the back of the gamelan.
At the front of the gamelan a selection of more complex instruments embellish the melody - the two bonang (double rows of gong chimes mounted on a frame), gendèr (multi-octave metallophone), rebab (fiddle), gambang (xylophone), siter (plucked zither) and suling (bamboo flute). A complete ensemble also includes a gérong (male chorus) and pesindhèn (solo female vocalist). The whole gamelan is co-ordinated by the drummer in the centre of the ensemble, playing a selection of kendhang (double-headed drums).
What is it used for?
Traditionally, gamelan music is used in Java for a number of different artistic and cultural purposes. The gamelan can often be found at religious ceremonies, palace rituals and many occasions including weddings, funerals, coming of age ceremonies, village cleansing rituals, celebrations to mark the birth of a new child or important events and birthdays.
The gamelan is often used to accompany dance or shadow-puppet plays and other theatrical forms. Gamelan is also played during klenengans - occasions where communities and local musicians get together to perform for enjoyment or to mark a particular social event.
In addition to ancient traditional gamelan music, popular genres co-exist (Campursari, Keroncong and Dangdut) which are vocal oriented and can sometimes incorporate Western instruments - keyboards, trumpets and drums - with Western tuning.
Download our Introduction to the Gamelan (pdf)
Kenongs, Kethuk and Kempyang
The kenongs are gong chimes (also with bosses) that sit suspended on strings in a wooden frame. They work in conjunction with the hanging gongs and kempuls in marking the structure of each composition and dividing the gong structures in halves and quarters. Two smaller yet similar instruments the kethuk and kempyang often work in pairs to define the structure of the composition and further punctuate the beats between the kenong, kempul and gong strokes. These chimes are also named onomatopoeically producing ‘nong’, ‘thuk’ and ‘pyang’ sounds respectively.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ugVELtjaM&feature=related
Gongs and Kempuls
The large hanging bossed-gong (gong ageng) is probably the most important instrument in the gamelan and marks the beginning and end of each musical cycle or section. The word ‘gong’ originates from Java and is onomatopoeic, describing the sound that is made when striking the instrument. In some forms of composition, the large gong is occasionally substituted with medium sized gong suwukan. Smaller hanging gongs - kempul (producing a ‘pul’ sound) - are used to further divide the gong structure and punctuate the skeleton melody of the piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cefeb2q4KSE&feature=related
Saron Family - Metallophones
The bronze sarons are ‘loud-style’ metallophones that define the skeleton melody (balungan) of a gamelan composition. The saron demung are the largest of these instruments and produce resonant sounds in the low register. The saron barung are mid-range instruments producing pitches an octave higher than the demung. In general, these instruments play the balungan as written, but occasionally may play lively interlocking patterns (imbal or pinjalan) deviating away from the skeleton melody to energise the music. This is especially prevalent in gamelan music to accompany dance or puppetry.
The higher-pitched saron panerus (or peking) sounds an octave higher than the saron barung. Due to it’s pitch and lack of resonance, the peking will often double the balungan notes or create a more elaborate part combining pairs of notes with which to embellish the skeleton melody (this is known as selang-seling).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1xdd8LpHR4&feature=related
Gender
The gendèr barung is one of the primary ‘soft-style’ instruments in the gamelan and elaborates the skeleton melody in close conjunction with the female vocalist, the fiddle and the drums. As it has a multi-octave range, the gendèr is played with two hands using a complex technique to dampen the notes with the wrists as the melodic patterns (cengkok) are generated.
The gender panerus is pitched an octave higher than the gender barung . Using a similar damping technique but different melodic patterns, the player will again use the appropriate melodic formulae with which to embellish the skeleton melody or balungan of a composition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AILyFuGuYKM&feature=related
Gambang
The gambang (wooden xylophone) is also a ‘soft-style’ elaborating instrument. The keys are made from wood and played with two padded mallets producing a very different timbre to the sound of the gamelan in contrast with the bronze-keyed instruments and gongs. Its melodic patterns (cengkok) create a rippling effect whilst embellishing the skeleton melody of the composition.
Kendhang (Drums)
The kendhangs (double-headed barrel drums) are usually found in sets of three. The largest drum (ageng) is played either on its own or more frequently in conjunction with the smallest ketipung drum to determine the structure and tempo of a composition or section of a piece. The medium sized ciblon drum plays more elaborate ‘flowering’ patterns (sekaran) that imitate and accompany dance and puppetry movements for the lively sections of some compositions.
The kendhangs cue the beginnings and endings of pieces, changes in tempo and section and breaks for vocal interjections by the female solo singer.
Bonang
The bonang barung are a series of gong-chimes laid out horizontally on a rack. Played by one person, the gongs are paired in octaves. The bonang can give a melodic introduction to pieces in the loud-style and can employ a number of different playing styles to anticipate (lead melodically) or embellish the skeleton melody of a composition. These techniques are often governed by the drumming patterns used in the ensemble and the performance context in which the gamelan is being played.
The smaller bonang panerus is pitched an octave higher than the bonang barung and plays at a faster pace to eleborate the bonang barung patterns. At times, the bonangs play imbal - interlocking patterns - to enliven a piece of music. These end in flourishing patterns (sekaran) leading to the destination pitch of the balungan.
Rebab
The rebab is a fiddle used in ‘soft-style’ pieces. It has one string that doubles back around the instrument and is tuned to two pitches by turning the pegs at the top of the finger-board. Within the gamelan ensemble, the rebab takes the role of melodic leader, signalling changes in register for different sections of a piece. At times, the rebab melody will begin to enter the higher register at the approach of the final gong in a cycle or section of music. This will often prompt the ensemble to begin its transition to a new section and cue the vocal chorus to begin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3TpjcnFMJs&feature=related
Slenthem
The slenthem is a softer-style instrument with bronze keys suspended over individual resonating tubes. The slenthem produces a very sustained sound with pitches in the lower register (an octave below the saron demung). The slenthem mainly plays the balungan (skeleton melody) of a piece, but occasionally uses a technique called pinjalan and interlocks with the saron demung playing an elaborated version of the balungan on the off-beat.
Siter
The siter is a small zither with metal strings (plucked with the thumbs) that elaborates the skeleton melody with flourishing patterns (cengkok) similar to the gambang and gender panerus.
Smaller siteran ensembles can comprise a number of siters and a ciblon drum in place of a full gamelan to accompany a male vocal chorus and female solo vocalist.
Suling
The suling is an end-blown bamboo flute that plays birdsong-like patterns over the top of the gamelan to relevant cadencial points within a gong cycle.
The suling also accompanies the rebab, gendèr barung and gambang during short instrumental interludes called pathetan, played before or after a piece (or suite of pieces) to establish the tuning and mode of the music at certain points during a gamelan performance.
Pesindhen
The pesindhèn - solo female vocalist - is possibly the most glamorous member of the gamelan orchestra. She can perform using a range of vocal styles for different types of piece within a gamelan performance.
Singing popular poetic texts in varying meters, the pesindhèn can embellish instrumental sections of traditional compositions, ornament male choral parts or sing in unison with both male and female singers to accompany some forms of traditional dance.
There are also specialist popular pieces in jineman and langgam forms which are oriented around the solo female singer in order to showcase her voice. These are accompanied by a selection of the ‘soft-style’ instruments from the gamelan, lively clapping and often-humorous vocal interjections by the male chorus or gérong.
Glossary of Useful Terms:
Balungan: Skeleton (core) melody.
Dhalang: Master puppeteer.
Gamelan: Refers to both the Indonesian percussion orchestra and the type of music played on it.
Gendhing: Composition or piece - can also refer to a specific form of piece.
Gérong: Chorus of male vocalists.
Karawitan: Gamelan music.
Kepatihan: Javanese cipher notation used for gamelan music.
Klenengan: Meeting of musicians to play gamelan together for enjoyment or to mark a celebration or special occasion.
Kraton: Javanese Palace.
Pélog: Tuning system with 7 notes per octave.
Pendhapa: Indonesian Pavilion (With a roof and supporting columns but no walls.
Pengrawit: Skilled gamelan musician.
Pesindhèn: Solo female vocalist.
Sléndro: Tuning system with 5 notes per octave.
Wayang Kulit: Shadow-puppet theatre.
