MUSIC OF

INDONESIA
INDONESIA – tropical country made up entirely of
islands (13,600)
- World’s largest island nation

Facts:
Official Name: Republic of Indonesia
Capital: Jakarta
Official language: Bahasa Indonesia
Currency: Indonesia Rupiah
People of Indonesia
•There are many native tribes

•300 different languages are spoken across

Indonesia
•World’s fourth populous country after China,

India and United States

Tropical Weather
*Hot or humid all year round

Wet and dry seasons

*Mountains and Volcanoes cover much of
Indonesia
 UNUSUAL
ANIMALS
IN
INDONESIA
 Unusual Animals - Home to many rare animals such as:
rhinocerous Dwarf buffaloes Parakeets Dangerous komodo Dragon -
world’s largest lizard that can
grow 10 ft ( 3 m) and weigh
365 pounds (165 kg)

elephants Brightly colored parrots Birds of paradise Orangutan – Malay language

meaning “man of the Jungle”
*Indonesians love Spicy foods.
Customs
•Rice – main food

•Black tea – popular beverage

•Batik – best known arts, method of dyeing

cloth to make beautiful.

Patterns
*puppet - made from wood or leather
Religion – Hinduism
Islam – 90%, largest Muslim country in
the world
CHARACTERISTICS
OF INDONESIAN
MUSIC
percussion instruments.

Bronze gongs orchestra

Gong-chimes
traditional form of
Metallophones
Gamelan Indonesian music

Drums

One or more flute

Bowed and plucked instruments

Sometimes singers
*in some villages, Gamelans,
bronze is sometimes replaced
by iron, wood or bamboo. The
most popular gamelan can be
found in Java and Bali.
Characteristics of Indonesian Music

A. Animism in Gamelan
B. Functions of Gamelan
Animism in Gamelan
In traditional thinking, the gamelan is sacred and

believed to have supernatural power.

It is believed that each instrument in the gamelan

is guided by the spirits.

Some gamelans are believed to have supernatural

powers such that playing them may exert power

over nature.
Others may be touched only by persons who are

ritually qualified.
*Gong Ageng – the most important instrument for
it is believed that Gong Ageng is the
main spirit of the entire gamelan.
Functions of Gamelan
1. Gamelan is a way of linking individuals to social groups.
 Gamelan music is performed as a group effort, and so
there is no place for an individual show off.
 Traditionally, gamelan is only played at certain
occasions such as:
i. Ritual ceremonies
ii. Special community celebrations
iii. Shadow puppet shows and
iv. For royal family
 Gamelan is also used to accompany dances in court,
temple and village rituals.
1. Gamelan provides some livelihood for professional
musicians, and for specialized craftsmen who
manufacture gamelan.
*Uses of Gamelan in Modern Days
i. Uses for ritual ceremonies and the royal family
ii. Performed as concert music at social gatherings and
cultural presentations.
iii. Used to accompany traditional and modern dances,
drama, theatrical shows and puppetry
iv. Kept in such places as courts, temples, museums,
schools and even in private collections.
1. Traditional influences
 Gamelan is believed to be at least 1200
years old.

*The Balinese Gamelan has seen an

increase in tempo, while Javanese
become less grand.

“Kebyas” – style of Balinese musicians

“boning imbal” & “kenbangan” – styles of
Javanese musicians
 1. Characteristics and Style
 Balinese gamelan music has a lot of sudden
changes in tempo and dynamics.
 There are more metallophones than gongs in
Balinese Gamelan.
 The metal keys in Balinese metallophones are
thicker than those in Javanese.
 Balinese metallophones produce very bright
sound.
 There is an extensive use of cymbals in Balinese
Gamelan music.
*cymbals – create fast rattling sounds that usually cannot be found in
Javanese Gamelan music.
a. Interlocking
*kotek – most distinctive characteristics of Balinese music
- It is the sharing of the melody by exchanging notes of
different pitches.
*splitting up a melody into interlocking segments can create
fast tempo.
a. Metallophones
Balinese Gamelan Music
 Like Javanese gamelan music
 A percussion – dominated musical ensemble
 Also known as gong-chime musical ensemble
 More metallophones than gongs
 It consist of :
o bronze gongs
o metallophones
o cymbals
o time – beater
a. Cycle
 Balinese gamelan music is in cycle, or in musical terms
“ostinato”. Usually the music will repeat over and over, until the
drummer gives a signal to end a performance.

a. Polyphonic
 Gamelan music is in polyphonic stratification structure. It means
the music is composed by layers of simple melody lines or
rhythm patterns.
*Five Categories
 Theme
 Elaboration
 Punctuation
 Counter – Melody
 Rhythm
a. Tuning systems
2 tuning systems for Gamelan
 Pelog – a seven tone scale, involving half
steps
 Slendro – a pentatonic (five tone) scale,
without half steps.

* These two sets of tuning system are played by

two different sets of gamelan metallophones.
 MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
OF
INDONESIA
Gamelan – from the
Javanese “gamel” which
means “hammer”

*Considered as the leader of gamelan is

the biggest gong, the Gong Ageng.
However, the actual leader during the
performance is the drummer.
Functions – according to orchestral
function in the polyphony
1. Main theme
3. Counter- 5. Rhythm
a) Saron Demung Melody a) Bedug
b) Saron Barung a) Rebab b) Kendang Gending
c) Sarong panerus b) Suling c) Gendang Ketipung
c) Human Voice
d) Slentem
2. Melodic 4. Punctuation
Elaboration a) Gong Ageng
a) Bonang Barung b) Kempul
b) Bonang Panerus c) Kempyang
c) Gambang d) Kenong
d) Gender Barung e) Ketuk
e) Gender Panerus
f) Siter
 Large bronze gong

Diameter (backside): 79 cm.

Gong Ageng
nagas (dragons) wearing
crowns ("dragon king")
Teakwood stand
Three-piece stand flower and leaf pattern
covered in gold leaf
Mallet (tabuh)
with a long Function: The gong ageng is considered the
handle and
heavy, thick red father or master of the gamelan. This particular
cloth padding gong is treated with great respect, including the
on one end offering of flowers and food during
wrapped in red performances and ceremonies. Music usually
cord. begins and ends with the gong ageng.
Gong Ageng
 Metallophones
It usually play
the melody part Any musical instrument
consisting of metal bars and
usually struck to make a
sound called mallet

Generally, a kind
of xylophone with 2 groups:
metal bars
1. Saron
2. Gender