Iacobus Leodiensis [Iacobus de Montibus, Iacobus de Oudenaerde]

(b) Notation.

Most Balinese music is transmitted orally. Notation is rarely used in the transmission process and never in performance. However, versions of the notational system known as grantangan are used for preserving the skeletal pitches of long compositions. Syllables comprising the pitch notation systems are also used as vocalized mnemonics in teaching. There are several such systems (Table 1). The oldest, used in gamelan gambang and other seven-tone sacred ensembles, is derived from sacred vocal music notation in which the vowels of poetry are translated into musical pitches. The vowel sound in each word of text has a corresponding syllable representing a pitch that is played as a tone on a single octave metallophone. At the KOKAR music conservatory, notation systems (known as notasi ding dong and notasi KOKAR) devised in 1960 have become standard; occasionally cipher notation is also used. Drum patterns are also transmitted by rote using a system of mnemonics.



Indonesia, §II, 1(ii): Balinese musical principles

(c) Instruments.

Gamelan are comprised of gongs, metallophones, xylophones, gong-chimes, drums, cymbals, flutes and spiked fiddles in various combinations (Table 2). Materials of construction include bronze, iron, wood and bamboo. Gongs range in size from small to very large. Most are hung vertically and struck with a padded mallet and provide a framework that marks the form. Others are held horizontally, are struck with a hard mallet and provide secondary punctuation or serve as a time-keeper. Metallophones are in pairs and consist of two types: with keys suspended over bamboo resonators (e.g. gender), and with keys resting on trough resonators (e.g. gangsa jongkok). Each metallophone in a pair is precisely tuned slightly apart from the other to produce acoustic ‘beats’. Gong-chime instruments consist of a row of graduated tuned kettles, which are played either as a solo melodic leading instrument or by several people playing interlocked figuration. Various non-pitched idiophones, such as ceng-ceng (cymbals, large or small) or gentorak (bell tree), complement ensembles. Suling (flutes) are played using circular breathing to produce a continuous sound; the rebab (bowed spike-fiddle) is played only in soft ensembles, with a technique that differs from that of Javanese rebab. Various sizes of two-headed drums (kendang) are played with and without mallets (see also Gamelan, §I, 5(iv)).

	TABLE 2a: Gamelan ensembles and instrumentation
Ensemble and tuning	GAMBUH (seven-tone	SEMAR PAGULINGAN	PEJOGEDAN	GONG GEDE	GONG KEBYAR
			pelog)		(7- or 5-tone pelog)
				/PELAGONGAN
					(5-tone pelog: selisir
					or tembung)
Relationship to	Panji Malat (Kidung);
	vocal/text		tembang in
			Buleleng-Rembang
Colotomic instruments	kempur (medium-size,	kempur	kempur komodong	2 gong	gong
			hanging gong)	kajar		(box-resonated	kempur	kempur
		kajar (small horizontal	kemong (small hanging		keyed gong)	kempli (horizonta	klentong (?gong)
			gong)		gong)	kempli (here, two-key		l gong	kajar/kempli
		kelenang (small	kelenang		bamboo xylophone)	bende (horizontal
			horizntal gong)						gong)
		kenyir (three-key					ponggang (?)
			instrument)
Melody instruments	2–4 suling gambuh	2 gender gede	2 large rindik (bamboo			2 ugal (metallophone)
			(flutes)		(metallophone)		xylophone)			2 jegogan
		rebab (fiddle)	2 gender barangan	2 jegogan (bamboo			2 jublag
					(metallophone)		xylophone)			4 gangsa pemade
				2 jegogan (low-pitched	2 small rindik				(metallophone)
					metallophone)		(high-pitched			4 gangsa kantilan
				4 jublag		bamboo xylophone)				(metallophone)
					(middle-register
					metallophone)
				4 penyacah
					(metallophone, octave
					higher than jublag)
				4 kantilan
					(high-pitched
					metallophone)
				2 gangsa jongkok gede
					(metallophone)
				2 gangsa jongkok
					cenik (metallophone)
Secondary melody			suling (flute), rebab	suling			rebab
	instruments
Gong-chimes			trompong (row of 10			trompong gede	trompong
					gong kettles)			trompong barangan	reyong
								reyong
Agogic instruments	2 kendang gupek	2 kendang gupek	kendang	2 kendang (large	2 kendang (large
			(small drum)						drum)		drum)
Additional percussion	rincik (small cymbals)	rincik	rincik	ceng-ceng kopyak	ceng-ceng (cymbals)
			or rincik (four-key	gentorag				(large cymbals)
			instrument)
		2 kangsi (small
			cymbals)
		3 gumanak
			(idiophone)
		gentorag (bell tree)

TABLE 2b: Gamelan ensembles and instrumentation
Ensemble and tuning	ARJA/GAGUNTANGAN	ANGKLUNG (4-tone	GENDER WAYANG	GENDER WAYANG-
		(tuning?)		slendro derived)		saih gender (5-tone		BATEL saih gender (5-
						slendro)		tone slendro)
Relationship to	tembang macapat (pupuh)			accompanies dalang	accompanies dalang in
vocal/text		sung in Balinese by				in wayang parwa or		wayang ramayana or
		actors/dancers. Based on				parwa dance drama;		wayang wong dance drama
		Panji Malat. Kakawin and				played simultaneously
		Malat are sung by noble				in ceremonies with kidung
		character; gagendingan				or kakawin
		(popular and folksong)
		sung by servants and
		coarse charcters.
Colotomic instruments	guntang gede (bamboo	kempur			kempur
		idiochord)	tawa-tawa			klenang
	guntang kempur (bamboo		(horizontal gong)			kempli
		idiochord)					kajar
	guntang cenik (bamboo
		idiochord)
	guntang kajar (bamboo
		idiochord) or kajar
		(horizontal gong)
	klenang
Melody	1 or 2 suling	2 jegogan	2 or 4 gender (10-key	2 or 4 gender (10-key
	4–7 flutes				metallophone)		metallophone)
Secondary Melody			suling			suling, rebab
Elaboration			8–12 gangsa
				(metallophones)
			reyong (8 gong kettles)
				or ‘barbell’
			reyong for processions
Agogic instruments	2 kendang	2 kendang (small
				drums)
Additional percussion	ricik (small cymbals)	ceng-ceng			rincik
	tawa-tawa					gentorag

TABLE 2c: Gamelan instruments and their instrumentation
Ensemble and tuning	GAMBANG 7-tone pelog	SALUNDING 7-tone	LUANG (SARON) 7-tone	CARUK 7-tone pelog
		(saih gambang)		pelog		pelog
Relationship to	one note per syllable in	aslo based on kidung	one lontar containing	one note persyllable in the
vocal/text		the Kidung MS		chant		luang pieces (damaged in		Kidung MS corresponds
		corresponds to each				volcanic eruption)		to each saron beat;
		saron beat						possibly used to
								accompany kidung Malat
								and Cupak
Colotomic instruments			gong agung
				kempli
				bebended (?gong)
					gong
				kempul (hanging gong)
Secondary colotomic		gebyog (low-pitch	kempur
instruments				metllophone)	kelenang (temple only)
			kempul (accasionally)
Melody	2 saron (metallophone)	2 gangsa (8-key	2 gangsa gantung	saron gede and
				metallophone)	gede (metallophone)	saron cenik (metallophone)
					saron besar (metallophone)		played by one player
					saron kecil (metallophone)
Secondary melody		suling			suling, rebab
Elaboration	4 gambang (xylophone)	2 gucekan	gangsa gantung	caruk (box-resonated
			gong (metallophone)	cenik (7-keyed		bamboo xylophone)
			inting gede		bamboo saron)
				(metallophone)	gansa jongkok
			inting cenik	besar
				(metallophone)	gangsa jongkok
			penem (metallophone)	kecil
			nyonyong gede
				(metallophone)
			nyonyong cenik
				(metallophone)
Gong chimes			trompong/bonang
						(double-row)
Agogic					?
Additional percussion		ceng-ceng	kendang
				ceng-ceng

Although there are many varieties of gamelan, most follow similar musical principles; discussion here will use gamelan gong (developed from gamelan gong gede and semar pagulingan) as a model.

Indonesia, §II, 1(ii): Balinese musical principles