This is not the only way that such closely cooperative parts are produced. In the technique called
kotekan , two distinctly different parts are combined, again to form a line that the ear hears as a single part. In a typical
gamelan gong kebyar , for example, the elaborated-melody part for the highest
gender instrument may have two, four, or even eight notes for every note of the core melody. For variety, some variations of the melody will be slower, while others are faster. At the fastest speeds, this part may be literally unplayable for a single person, so for these sections it is divided into two parts. The
polos part is based on the melody, and still plays the same note as the core instruments at important points in the melody. The
sangsih part may sometimes play at the same time, but also fills in gaps in the rhythm of the
Even when the main rhythm of a
Recognizing and listening to gamelan music
Easy-to-hear clues that what you are hearing is Balinese
If you have a chance to watch a
- Pay attention to the interplay between the dance or action and the music. Watch for the leader of the musicians to closely coordinate the form, dynamics, and tempo of the piece to the action.
- Try to get a feeling for the basic form or structure by watching the large gongs and/or other colotomic instruments .
- Watch for kotekan .
- Observe the different instruments being played. Which are playing colotomic parts? Which are playing basic or elaborated versions of the melody? Who is playing solos or leading?
Watching performances
- Try to get a feeling for the length of the form by listening to the repetitions of the melody. Listen also for the colotomic instruments to mark off the main points in the form.
- Listen for the variations on the melody.
- Listen for the beats produced by the wide tuning
- If you can, listen for mode.
Listening to gamelan music
You may also encounter
Acknowledgments
Photographs, audio, and video recordings are all courtesy of the
University of Illinois School of Music and
The Robert E. Brown Center for World Music of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Special thanks go to
Thanks also to the Asnawa family and to all of the University of Illinois students and professors who participated in the Fall 2007 Balinese Music and Dance Concert at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, for their cooperation in preparing the photos, videos, and audio recordings accompanying this lesson: including dancers Yonitika Asnawa, Yunirika Asnawa, Norshahida Ismail, Samantha C. Jones, Dewidiari Rachman, Ya-Han Tsui, Justina Whelchel, and musicians I Ketut Gede Asnawa, Putu O. Mardiani Asnawa, Tarika Asnawa, Yonitika Asnawa, Yunirika Asnawa, Taylor Briggs, James Bunch, Vincent Calianno, Joel Caracci, Samuel Carroll, Fang-chi Chang, Rosa Chang, Meghann Clancy, Philip Clark, Mark Eichenberger, Joshua Hunt, Justin Kothenbeutel, Mackenzie Martin, Andrew McBeath, Ayu Putu Niastarika, Christopher Nolte, Zackary Penckofer, Matthew Plaskota, James Price, Dewidiari Rachman, I Wayan Rachman, Christopher E. Reyman, Nur Syahida Mohd Shafei, Ahmad Azlan Shahrudin, Shahira Tunnaww Mohd Sharkar, Otto Stuparitz, Stephen Taylor, Priscilla Tse, Shane Wirkes, and Philip Yampolsky.