JAVANESE GAMELAN
Introduction
The word Gamelan (from gamel meaning to handle) describes various types of orchestra in Java. They all largely consist of tuned metal gongs, chimes, metallophones and drums. The Gamelan orchestra also usually contains a xylophone, flute, stringed instruments and often singers. The instruments are made of bronze, iron, wood and bamboo. Gamelans can be traced back through Indonesian history, and can be seen in the carvings of Borobudur.
Some Gamelans were deemed sacred, and only used for special occasions. Even today there is a certain mystery over the creation of the metallic instruments, and the bronze smiths (pende) guard their secrets, handed down from generations. It is believed that the special alloy used to make the metal instruments will produce a living sound, endowed with a soul. The gongs and metal keys are tuned by the pende, but no two Gamelans are tuned to exactly the same pitch. Instruments within the Gamelan may vary slightly, giving it a shimmering sound. It is said that it takes about 20 years for a Gamelan to acquire its final tones, and must be played regularly, or the spirit of the metal will die.
Traditionally Gamelan is learned as a part of everyday life, in much the same way villagers learn to sow and harvest crops or prepare a meal. Starting from the youngest age villagers begin to absorb the conventions and style of Gamelan music, learning to play the various instruments. A village Gamelan is not played by professional musicians but by villagers who take their part in playing the Gamelan as they would in planting the fields or harvesting the crops. The Gamelan and its music are an integral part of the ritual life of the village and indeed the entire Gamelan and particularly the large gongs are considered sacred. The instruments of the Gamelan are typically housed in its own open-walled building.
The Instruments
The Gamelan has an array of metallic instruments, stringed instruments, wind instruments, drums and various singing voices. The instruments of the Gamelan are generally arranged with the largest, lowest instruments in back and the higher instruments towards the front.
The largest and lowest instrument is the gong ageng. The English word "gong" comes from this instrument. The gong ageng has been described as having "the most beautiful sound in the world."
The kenong is a smaller pot gong. This medium sized instrument will play a melody that moves at medium speed.
The bonang is a series of medium sized bronze kettle gongs. A high and a low bonang are typically used in a Gamelan. The two bonang often play complicated interlocking patterns.
The saron is a metallophone. Its heavy bronze bars are played with wooden hammers. The saron's range is an octave, and it comes in low, medium, and high versions, each an octave apart. The saron, as one of the higher instruments, plays a faster moving melody.
The gender covers a range of over two octaves. As with most Gamelan instruments, the gender player must dampen each note as soon as the following note is played. The coordination required to simultaneously play two notes with the hammers and dampen the two preceding notes with the hands makes the gender one of the most difficult instruments to play.
The gambang is a wooden xylophone.
The suling is a bamboo flute. It is played with a circular breathing technique which makes it possible to play continuously without ever pausing for a breath.
The rebab is a bowed string instrument. The rebab is the melodic leader of the group and plays one of the most elaborate melodies.
The celempung is a zither.
The kendang are drums. The kendang are particularly important in giving signals to the rest of the group.
The solo female singer in a Gamelan is known as the sindhen. In western music, the solo female singer would typically be the most prominent and important part, and all other instruments would accompany her. However, in Javanese Gamelan music, no part, even the singer, is considered more important than the others. All instruments and singers weave their parts together to form a complicated counterpoint in which no one instrument or singer is featured above the rest.
The Music
The most striking element of Gamelan music is the cycle. Cycles are known as gongan because they are punctuated by strikes of the gong. A cycle may be repeated any number of times, and so is best visualized as a circle. For example a cycle may contain eight beats. The large gong plays every eight beats, marking the beginning of the cycle. A smaller gong divides the cycle in half, playing every four beats. Yet smaller gongs divide the cycle into fourths. An even higher gong will divide the cycle into eighths. After a cycle is repeated several times, the drummer gives a signal, and at the large gong beat a new cycle begins.