CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN IFUGAO

MUSIC 8
FIRST QUARTER – A. Y. 2023-2024
Southeast Asian Music

CONTENT STANDARD:The Learner analyze common and unique musical characteristics between the region
and Southeast Asia as well as modifying the use of identified common/similar percussion instruments of
Cordillera and Southeast Asia in performing a theatrical play.

PERFORMANCE STANDAND: Perform Southeast Asian songs with appropriate pitch, rhythm, expression
and style.

LESSONS AND COVERAGE

In order to answer the essential question, you need to take the following lessons about Southeast Asian music
geographical and cultural background of:
A. Indonesia (Gamelan)
B. Thailand (Piphat)
C. Cambodia (Pinpeat)
D. Myanmar (SaungGauk)

The historical background and basic concepts that you will need as you go on with the lessons. Our
discussion will focus on the vocal and instrumental music of Southeast Asian countries particularly in
Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Let’s start!

LESSON 1

INDONESIA
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia comprising approximately 17,500 islands. With over 238
million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country and is the fourth biggest nation of the
world. Through interaction with other cultures such as Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and European, a wide range of
musical styles has been developed. Today, the contemporary music of Indonesia is popular not only in the
region but also in the neighboring countries.

The Music of Indonesia

Indonesia is located along the equator, southwest of the Philippines. Like the Philippines, Indonesia is
an archipelago, with thousands of islands serving as home to different indigenous communities. Indonesia is
also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN). Indonesia has a rich culture that is
greatly influenced by religion. The dance dramas of Java and Bali are taken from Hindu mythology and epics
such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. These dance dramas are accompanied by a musical ensemble called
the gamelan.
Gamelan
Gamelan is an ensemble composed of several Indonesian indigenous instruments. Gamelan is a
Javanese word literally means “orchestra.” A gamelan may consist of 4-25 musicians, and it may include
singers are required. Larger ensembles may be owned by the government, institutions, schools, or the wealthy.
Musicians may also take possession

of gamelan instrument, but these are often the smaller types. Gamelan is the
indigenous orchestra type of Java and Bali in Indonesia.
The gamelan ensemble has several types depending on is function, musical style,
ad number of instruments in a group. If gamelan music is used beyond the context
of the theater and dance, it can be played on occasion such as a wedding, birthday,
circumcision, or any other secular occasion. Gamelan music is popular with Indonesia; it is so popular that it
may be heard on the radio. Locals believe that the instrument have spirit within them, so they have to show
reverence in the presence of these instruments. One is not allowed to step over an instrument, as it may offend
the spirit if one does so irreverently.

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Javanese gamelan
In Java, the introduction of Islam created a tripartite society divided into abangan (peasantry), santri (Islamic,
usually merchants), and prijaji(nobility and cultural elite). The court musician composed and performed for the
nobility, which then defined cultural identity. Even the peasantry appreciated gamelan music evidence by their
efforts to imitate the music on inferior instruments in the community. This resulted to the characteristics of
Javanese gamelan music: refinement, intellectualization, and formality.
Javanese gamelan is often performed during sacred rituals and ceremonies. It is best suit for temples and
palaces because of it is gentle and refined nature. There is preference for a mellow sound, produced by thickly
padded hammers. The ensemble is composed of time-marking instrument (different kind of gongs), melodic
instruments (may be a flute or a fiddle), and elaborating instruments (other instruments). Singers can also join in
the ensemble to sing solo songs or to add to the musical texture during soft parts. A unique feature of the
Javanese gamelan is improvisation. Performers use ornamentation permitted in traditional styles to “improve”
on the music.
Parts of Javanese Gamelan
1. Bonang- These are knobbed gongs placed in ropes that are attached to a wooden frame. These
horizontal gongs are played with two padded sticks.
2. SaronPanerus (Also called saronpeking), SaronBarung, and Sarondemung- A saron is a bronze
metallophone placed over a box resonator. It is played with a mallet calledtabuh.
3. Slenthem- An instrument made3 of thin bronze keys of fine alloy that plays the melody of another line.
Its s played using only one stick.
4. Gender- In some types of gamelan, two genders are used: the gender panerus and the gender barung.
both are thin metal bar instruments that are suspended over tube resonators. They play an elaboration of
the main melody:
they are played by striking the bronze keys with padded sticks.
5. Gong ageng, Gong suwak, and Kempul- These are hanging gongs that play divisions of line and
sections.
6. Kenong- these are horizontal gongs- they are punctuating instruments which are played by striking the
gongs with padded sticks.
7. Kendhang- these are double-headed drums used to signal the ensemble through rhythm.
8. Ketuk and Kempyang- These are horizontal gongs that play a “thuk” and “pang” sound in alternation.
9. Rebab- this is two-stringed lute usually used to perform the melody.
10. Suling- This is a vertical flute which is used to perform the melody
11. Gambang- This is xylophone made out of wood. It is played by striking the wooden keys with padded
sticks.
12. Celempung- this is zither used to embellish the melody of the gamelan.
Balinese Gamelan
The Balinese gamelan took different way in development. Instead of courts and nobilities
owning the gamelan, all communities have at least one gamelan ensemble. When the Dutch
came to power in 1980, many court ensembles were dismantled and gamelan instruments were
given to the village musicians. This event led to the lack of centralization in the development of
music in Bali. Unlike the control of the nobility of the traditional culture in Java, the peasantry
in Bali has great contribution in the development of the gamelan. Because of this, gamelan
music is still composed in Bali and is still in active developments as it finds use outside courts
and religious ceremonies.
Balinese gamelan is dynamic, loud and rhythmic. The wood hammers are unpadded and create bright
and percussive tones. There are different variations in the composition of each gamelan ensemble. Instruments
can include metallophones, flutes, stringed instrument, or in few occasions, a vocalist. Each instrument is paired
and detuned to create a shimmering effect. The instrument is played in interlocking rhythmic patterns to create a
sense of speed unachievable by playing solo. Balinese gamelan is thoroughly composed and has little space for
improvisation.
Typical Parts of a Balinese gamelan
1. Ugal- This is a bronze metallophone that suspended over tuned bamboo resonators. The ugal is featured
in the gamelan kongkebyar where it plays the melody of the piece.
2. Jegogan- the keys of this instrument are larger than other gangsa. It plays the lowest notes in the
ensemble.
3. Jublag- also called as calung, this is a gangsa metallophone that also plays the melody.

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 4. Kantil- This metallophone is the smallest is the gangsa. It can play the melody or an interlocking pattern
called kotekan.
5. Pemade. A metallophone that plays an octave above the ugal. This instrument plays the main melody of
the piece.
6. Reyong- These are gongs or kettles mounted on a frame, they share the same notes as the pemade but
plays the interlocking pattern instead.
7. Gongs- This consist of two large hanging gongs.
8. Kendhang- These are two drum pairs.
9. Kempli- This is a small horizontal gong that keeps time.
10. Ceng-ceng- These consists of four to five horizontally mounted cymbals.
11. Trompong- These are ten small gongs that play an ornamentation of the melody.

JAVANESE GAMELAN BALINESE GAMELAN

 Used for court music  Used for sacred music
 Percussion dominated  Consist of metallophone and mostly gongs
 Style of playing gives solemn character  Sudden change of tempo and dynamics are
basic characteristics
 Sound are very bright and brilliant
 Use of fast and rattling sounds of cymbals
makes distinctive characters
Musical Analysis
Both Javanese and Balinese gamelan use two tuning systems: Pelog and Slendro. The tuning system are not
fixed pitches like in Western notation. They are interval used to match one instrument to the Western gamelan.
With regard to rhythm and tempo, Javanese gamelan makes use of slower and grander tempos. Balinese
gamelan make use of fast and every rhythmic tempo. It is notable that tempos change a lot within a performance
and is usually dictated by the drums.
Gamelan music, similar with many Asian gong traditions, is cyclic in form. There are repeated patterns that
from cycles instead of the usual introduction-theme-development-ending usually heard from Western forms.
Gamelan texture is unique in the sense that is made up of layers, the highest layers being the fastest moving and
the lowest layer the slowest.
Making Meaning
Get to know the important terms that can help you better understand this lesson.
Slendro System of tuning where each note is distance 1.25 tones approximately
Pelog Tuning system that divides an octave into unequal intervals
Tripartite Shared by or involving three parties

Wrapping up
 Javanese gamelan is refined with soft and mellow sounds. It is mostly used is sacred rituals and
ceremonies and is very traditional in nature.
 Improvisation is a unique feature of the Javanese gamelan.
 Balinese Gamelan is dynamic with loud and bright sounds. It is also used for religious purposes but it is
well-known for its secular use too.
 Interlocking patterns to create a sense of rapidity is a unique feature in Balinese gamelan.

Gamelan Styles
There are two most popular gamelan musical styles: (1) The Javanese gamelan and (2) the Balinese gamelan.
Basically, these two styles share the same set of instruments, but the Balinese gamelan adds a few instruments
in its ensemble.
Javanese gamelan is said to be more refined, mellow, soft and connected. Because of this, the Javanese
gamelan is more traditional and is the style often played in places and temples. The Javanese gamelan is divided
in two basic styles: soft and strong. The soft style has a mellow and tranquil quality, whereas the strong type has
a bold quality to it.
The Balinese gamelan, on the other hand, is very rhythmic and vigorous in style. The gongs used in this style
sound brightly and are very percussive. The gives Balinese gamelan a more contemporary feel. Also, Balinese
gamelan music produces a “shimmering effect,” which is produced by using identical instruments that are
slightly tuned apart.

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 Even the musical structures of these two gamelan styles are different. Javanese gamelan has a colotomic
structure, a structure characterized by cycles punctuated periodically by an instrument (e.g., gongs). The
colotomic structure in Balinese gamelan is not evident, however. Also, unlike Javanese gamelan, the melody of
Balinese gamelan does not repeat throughout a continuous cycle.

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