8

MUSIC OF
SOUTHEAS
T ASIA • MUSIC OF INDONESIA
• MUSIC OF THAILAND
• MUSIC OF CAMBODIA
• MUSIC OF MYANMAR
MUSIC OF
INDONESIA • has a rich musical tradition which is one of the
oldest in the world.
• fourth biggest nation of the world.
• it is an archipelago comprising of
approximately 17, 508 islands.
• The most famous of Indonesia’s islands is the
exotic Bali, known for its captivating art and
temples.
• Jakarta.
• The name Indonesia is derived from the Latin
and Greek work, Indus and the Greek nesos,
meaning “island”.
MUSIC OF
INDONESIA • extensively diverse, spread over eighteen
thousand islands with several ethnic
groups.
• Islam has considerable influence over the
culture and music, accompanied by dance
and theatre.
• The island has plenty of indigenous
instruments such as drums, suling/ flute
and various types of gongs.
• Angklung, made of bamboo tubes, is one of
the most prominent instruments of the
country.
 Musical Elements Characteristics

Rhythm Off nested time/ structure

is 8 or 16 bars
Melody Uses pelog and slendro
scale
Form Repeated

Timbre Nasal

Harmony and Texture Polyphonic

-is a musical texture that
features two or more
equally prominent
melodic lines played at the
same time.
MUSIC OF
INDONESIA Indonesian Music may be derived into two forms:
• Vocal Music- it is in the form of long historical
narratives, courting and love songs, devotional
praise melodies and children’s song. It is used
together with the gamelan for ornamentation
purpose.
• Pesindhen- female singer who sings with the
gamelan
• Gerong male chorus who sings with the
gamelan in unison
• Berong Becayan- mixed chorus which sings with
the gamelan.
MUSIC OF
INDONESIA • Instrumental music. Two dominant scales
are used in the traditional Indonesian music,
the slendro and the pelog scale.
The slendro derived its name form the Indian
Kings of the Sailendra Dynasty who rules Java
between the eight and tenth century. It is a
pentatonic scale and older than the pelog.
The pelog is one of the two essential scales of
gamelan music native to Bali and Java, in
Indonesia. Pelog has seven notes. This musical
term is said to be derived from the Javanese
term pelag which means “fine” or “beautiful,”
 • is an indigenous ensemble that already existed before Hindu-
Buddhist culture had its influence in Indonesia.
Gamelan • It is believed in Javanese mythology that the god who rules as
king of all Java named Sang Hyang Guru created gamelan in
Saka era. He invented the gongs as a way to summon the other
gods to his palace located on the Maendra mountains which is
now call Mount Law in Medangkamulan.
• Indonesia’s essential part of culture and most important kind of
music is Gamelan music. It is polyphonic in structure, made up
of many layers of simple melodic lines and rhythmic patterns.
• The word gamelan came from the ancient terms, “gamble” or
“gamel” which means to play musically or to hammer.
• Gamelan music is an ancient form of complex music. It has
been traditionally passed down across generations who learn it
through actual playing.
• Tuned percussion instruments such as drums, gongs, and metal
phones from the gamelan ensemble. Padded sticks, hammers,
and wooden mallets are used to strike most of these
instruments.
Characteristics of Javanese Gamelan and Balinese Gamelan
Javanese Gamelan Balinese Gamelan

 Used for court music  Used for sacred music

 Percussion dominated  Consist of metallophones, mostly gongs
 Style of playing gives solemn character  Sudden change of tempo and dynamics
 Sounds are very bright and brilliant
 Used fast and rattling sounds of cymbals
Gamelan Musical Instruments

Bonang- plays the melody in the Gender- a metallophone with bronze

Gamelan ensemble sustained keys suspended by cords in a
wooden frame.
Saron- produces a tone one octave Kenong- A set of small gongs
higher than demung, with a smaller
one.
Gong Ageng- The most important Kempul- a set of pitched gongs
instrument of the Gamelan
Ceng-ceng- a set of four cymbals Kendang- a set of drums of different
mounted and inverted on a wooden sizes.
frame.
Some facts about the Gamelan include the following:
• It is believed to be guided by spirits, thus Indonesians offer
flowers and incense to it.
• Shoes must be removed before entering the area of the
orchestra.
• Stepping over the instruments is forbidden.
• Only the best player is allowed to play the gong ageng.
Some of the functions of the Gamelan include the
following:
• It accompanies religious ceremonies and important events.
• It is used as a part of entertainment like the puppet show
• It provides a means of livelihood to the Indonesians.
 • Thailand is the only southeast Asian country that
MUSIC OF never became a colony of any European nation.
• it was called Prathet thai, a term in Thai language
THAILAND which refers to “Land of the Free,” since it is able to
retain and protect its independence against foreign
colonization.
• Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country located
at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast
Asia.
• Its capital and largest city us Bangkok, which is the
Thailand’s political, commercial, industrial and cultural
hub.
• South China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and
India influenced the musical tradition of Thailand.
• Thai music is purely oral in culture and has no written
notational styles. It calms the mind and satiates the
soul.
 Musical Elements Characteristics

Rhythm Duple Meter, syncopation

Melody Uses pentatonic scale and

the seven-tone scale

Timbre Nasal

Harmony and Texture Heterophonic (two or more

voices simultaneously
performing variations of the
same melody)

Form Strophic
 • Pleng luk thung (Thai country music)- invented
in the early 1950’s to refletct daily traits and
Vocal tribulations.
Music • Morlam- a distinctive Laotian genre
characterized by rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals, and
fund-feel to the percussion
• Kantrum- a swift and traditional music played by
Cambodian near the border of Cambodia.
• Pop and rock
• Plena Thai Sakon- Thai melodies that are
incorporated with Western classical music.
• Wong Shadow- Western rock patterned after
Cliff Richards and the Shadows
• Pleng Phua Cheewit- the nationalistic song of
the ThaiS
Instrumental
Music • Thai musical instruments are varied and
reflect ancient influence. These
instruments were generally used in
traditional theater and religious
performances.
IDIOPHONES

Khwang Wong Lek- a set of 18

Ranat Thum- A wooden
knobbed pot gongs placed in a circular
xylophone wooden frame.
IDIOPHONES

Ching- a pair of cymbals made out of a thick metal shaped like

tea cup.
Membranophones

Taphon- a drum places on a stand Klong-kaak- a long cylindrical drum

with a similar shape and size to the
western style bongo drums
Membranophones

Thon- a bowl-shaped ceramic Ramana- a shallow drum that looks

drum like a tambourine without disks
Chordophones

Jakhae or jakhe- Thai’s most

Saw sam sai- a triangular spikes fiddle
important stringed instrument shaped
with a leg, three strings, but no frets.
like a crocodile
Chordophones

Sao-duang a two-stringed
instrument with a long neck
Aerophones

Khaen- the most important fold

instrument of North Thailand.
Pi nai- a double-reed pipe
MUSIC OF
CAMBODIA • Cambodia, also known as Kampuchea, is a
country located in the southern portion of
the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.
• The music of Cambodia is derived both from
traditions of the ancient Khmer Empire and
form the Western popular scene.
• Hindu and ancient forms had a great
influence on traditional Cambodian music. It
is played during spiritual rites, Buddhist
festivals, shadow theater performances,
wedding and numerous occasions. It reflects
the heart and soul of Cambodians.
 Musical Elements Characteristics
MUSIC OF Rhythm Uses mostly duple meter
CAMBODIA
Melody Uses pentatonic scale or
the seven-tone scale

Timbre Vocal-nasal
Form Vocal-Strophic
Instrumental- Three-part
form
Harmony and Texture Heterophony
Musical
Ensembles There are three Classical Khmer ensembles
namely. These include the following:
• Pinpeat- play the ceremonial music of the
former royal courts
• Phleng kar- plays the songs of wedding
ceremonies
• Mahori- involves secular entertainment
music, also originated from the royal courts,
that is payed by a string-based ensemble. The
term mahori is shared with Thai music and
the instrumentation is often identical,
although the songs are not.
Pop Music • Ramvong- slow dance music
• Ramkbach- closely related to Thai folk
music.
• Kantrum- a genre of popular music
originating among the Khmer Surin in
Thailand.
Roneat dek- a xylophone that is a Roneat Thung- a xylophone that
metallophone with 21 plates consists of 16 hanging bamboo plates
 Sralay- a double or quadruple-reed
Roneat ek- a hanging xylophone
oboe with seven holes tuned in
consisting of 21 bamboo plates heptatonic scale
Samphor- a barrel drum, beaten with Skow Thom- barrel drums tuned in
hands or sticks fourths and fifths
Khim- a hammered dulcimer from Thailand
and Cambodia. It is made of wood and it is
trapezoidal in shape, with brass strings that
are laid across the instrument.
Kong Thom- a gong ensemble of 17
gongs arranged in half circle, also
found in Laos and Thailand.
Khloy- a bamboo-length flute Takhe- a two-stringed harp/zither
with seven playing holes with twelve frets
Tro Khmer- a two-stringed fiddle which can be
found with diverse names and forms all over
Southeast Asia
MUSIC OF
MYANMAR • Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a
sovereign state in Southeast Asia bordered by
China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh.
• The geographical setting between powerful
neighbors contributed mush to the significant
development of its belief, architecture, legend,
literature, dance, drama, and music.
• Myanmar shares similar musical elements and
traditions with its neighboring countries such
as China, India and Thailand.
• It is melodious and without harmony.
• It is more instrumental than vocal.
 Musical Elements Characteristics

Rhythm Usually in 4/4 time or

2/4- or 8/16-time
signatures

Melody Uses pentatonic or

seven-ton scale
Timbre Vocal-Nasal

Harmony and Texture Heterophony

Form Vocal- Strophic

Instrumental- Three-
part form
Music of
Myanmar The following music of Myanmar is
used in various social functions.
• Byaw- often played at religious
festivals and is sung to the beat of a
long and thin drum.
• Pat pyo- court music
• Iwan Chin- songs of longing
• Bole- songs of sorrow
Music of
Myanmar Musical Ensembles
• Hsaing waing- is a traditional Burmese folk
indoor ensemble, consisting a number of
different gongs and drums. It is characterized by
its lively and sudden contrasts and shifts in
rhythm, melody and tempo. It is not found
outside Burma and has to be played with great
expertise. It differs greatly in its diversity of
instruments and musical style form Thai
ensembles.
• Sidaw is an outdoor musical ensemble used in
royal courts that marks important ceremonial
function like the royal ploughing ceremony.
Saung Gauk- This is a national instrument of Myanmar. It is a 13 stringed angular
harp that has a soft sound. It is used to accompany the Mahagita (a classical song
of Myanmar). Its strings are created sing silk, while its flat bar is produced through
Hne- It is Myanmar’s traditional oboe. Ka si- This is a kettle drum also known
It has a reed made from fan palms as the “frog drum” that is used to
while the body is made of wood. summon rain.