Gamelan Gadhon
Encyclopedia
A Gamelan Gadhon is an ensemble consisting of the "soft" instruments of the Javanese gamelan
. This can include rebab
, gendér
, gendér panerus, voice, slenthem
, suling
, siter
, gong
, kempul
, kenong
and kendhang.
, a two-stringed fiddle, is the melodic leader of the ensemble. The rebab player signals changes between sections of a piece, and to a new piece.
The gendér
is a tube-resonated metallophone with fourteen keys suspended by string above metal tubes. The gender plays improvisatory patterns called cengkok
which link one seleh
note to the next. Each pattern can be played in many ways and the musician chooses how to play each one at the time, according to the style of the piece, the pathet
, the irama
, and other musical considerations.
The slenthem
is a low-pitched tube-resonated metallophone played with a large padded mallet held in one hand, with the other hand is used for damping the ringing key as a new key is sounded. The melodic framework of a piece, sometimes called the balungan
, is played on the slenthem.
The kendhang, two-headed drums played with the hands, control the tempo of the music and signal changes in irama
. Different drums are used according to the style of the music; some lively and others more restrained. The kendhang player usually begins and ends on the ketipung and kendhang ageng, switching to more elaborate patterns on the medium-sized ciblon drum.
The gongs, kempul
(small hanging gongs) and kenong
(large horizontal gongs) act as structural markers and punctuate the form, depending on the type of piece being played. The gong ageng
(large gong) marks the end of each of the largest melodic phrases; these are called "gongan," and a piece can have one or several of these.
Several other instruments can also be included: the gambang
(xylophone), suling
(end-blown bamboo flute), and siter
(plucked stringed instrument). Vocal parts called gerong
(for male singers) or sindhen
(for female singers) can be added in certain sections of pieces, as can alok
, vocal cries that accent certain parts of the form or melody.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
. This can include rebab
Rebab
The rebab , also rebap, rabab, rebeb, rababah, or al-rababa) is a type of string instrument so named no later than the 8th century and spread via Islamic trading routes over much of North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and the Far East...
, gendér
Gendér
A gendér is a type of metallophone used in Balinese and Javanese gamelan music. It consists of 10 to 14 tuned metal bars suspended over a tuned resonator of bamboo or metal, which are tapped with a mallet made of wooden disks or a padded wooden disk . Each key is a note of a different pitch, often...
, gendér panerus, voice, slenthem
Slenthem
The slenthem is a Javanese metallophone which makes up part of a gamelan orchestra.The slenthem is part of the gendér family. It consists of a set of bronze keys comprising a single octave: there are six keys when playing the slendro scale and seven when playing the pelog...
, suling
Suling
A suling or Seruling is an Indonesian bamboo ring flute. It is used in gamelan ensembles.Depending on the regional genre, a suling can be tuned into different scales...
, siter
Siter
The siter and celempung are plucked string instruments used in Javanese gamelan. They are related to the kacapi used in Sundanese gamelan....
, gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
, kempul
Kempul
A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the gong suwukan and gong ageng, hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets...
, kenong
Kenong
The kenong is one of the instruments used in the Indonesian gamelan. It is technically a kind of gong, but is placed on its side and is roughly as tall as it is wide. It thus is similar to the bonang, kempyang and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Kenongs are generally much larger than any of...
and kendhang.
The instruments and their functions
The rebabRebab
The rebab , also rebap, rabab, rebeb, rababah, or al-rababa) is a type of string instrument so named no later than the 8th century and spread via Islamic trading routes over much of North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and the Far East...
, a two-stringed fiddle, is the melodic leader of the ensemble. The rebab player signals changes between sections of a piece, and to a new piece.
The gendér
Gendér
A gendér is a type of metallophone used in Balinese and Javanese gamelan music. It consists of 10 to 14 tuned metal bars suspended over a tuned resonator of bamboo or metal, which are tapped with a mallet made of wooden disks or a padded wooden disk . Each key is a note of a different pitch, often...
is a tube-resonated metallophone with fourteen keys suspended by string above metal tubes. The gender plays improvisatory patterns called cengkok
Cengkok
Cengkok are patterns played by the elaborating instruments in the Javanese gamelan. Typically they are melodic patterns that lead to the seleh, following the rules of the pathet of the piece....
which link one seleh
Seleh
The seleh note or nada seleh is a concept used in Javanese gamelan music. It is the final note of a gatra, or four-beat melodic unit.The main underlying melodic structure of a gamelan piece, called the balungan, is grouped into four-beat units...
note to the next. Each pattern can be played in many ways and the musician chooses how to play each one at the time, according to the style of the piece, the pathet
Pathet
The pathet is an organizing concept in gamelan music. It is difficult to explain, but is similar to the melody types, that is, for example, modes, ragas, or maqamat, of other musics....
, the irama
Irama
Irama is a concept used in Javanese gamelan music, describing melodic tempo and relationships in density between the balungan, elaborating instruments, and gong structure. It is distinct from tempo , as each irama can be played in different tempi.One way to think of irama is to use the most...
, and other musical considerations.
The slenthem
Slenthem
The slenthem is a Javanese metallophone which makes up part of a gamelan orchestra.The slenthem is part of the gendér family. It consists of a set of bronze keys comprising a single octave: there are six keys when playing the slendro scale and seven when playing the pelog...
is a low-pitched tube-resonated metallophone played with a large padded mallet held in one hand, with the other hand is used for damping the ringing key as a new key is sounded. The melodic framework of a piece, sometimes called the balungan
Balungan
The balungan is sometimes called the "core melody" of a Javanese gamelan composition. This corresponds to the view that gamelan music is heterophonic: the balungan is then the melody which is being elaborated....
, is played on the slenthem.
The kendhang, two-headed drums played with the hands, control the tempo of the music and signal changes in irama
Irama
Irama is a concept used in Javanese gamelan music, describing melodic tempo and relationships in density between the balungan, elaborating instruments, and gong structure. It is distinct from tempo , as each irama can be played in different tempi.One way to think of irama is to use the most...
. Different drums are used according to the style of the music; some lively and others more restrained. The kendhang player usually begins and ends on the ketipung and kendhang ageng, switching to more elaborate patterns on the medium-sized ciblon drum.
The gongs, kempul
Kempul
A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the gong suwukan and gong ageng, hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets...
(small hanging gongs) and kenong
Kenong
The kenong is one of the instruments used in the Indonesian gamelan. It is technically a kind of gong, but is placed on its side and is roughly as tall as it is wide. It thus is similar to the bonang, kempyang and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Kenongs are generally much larger than any of...
(large horizontal gongs) act as structural markers and punctuate the form, depending on the type of piece being played. The gong ageng
Gong ageng
The gong ageng is . It is the largest of the bronze gongs in the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra...
(large gong) marks the end of each of the largest melodic phrases; these are called "gongan," and a piece can have one or several of these.
Several other instruments can also be included: the gambang
Gambang
A gambang, properly called a gambang kayu is a xylophone-like instrument used among peoples of Indonesia and the southern Philippines in gamelan and kulintang, with wooden bars as opposed to the metallic ones of the more typical metallophones in a gamelan...
(xylophone), suling
Suling
A suling or Seruling is an Indonesian bamboo ring flute. It is used in gamelan ensembles.Depending on the regional genre, a suling can be tuned into different scales...
(end-blown bamboo flute), and siter
Siter
The siter and celempung are plucked string instruments used in Javanese gamelan. They are related to the kacapi used in Sundanese gamelan....
(plucked stringed instrument). Vocal parts called gerong
Gerong
Gerong is the Javanese verb meaning "to sing in a chorus." Penggerong is the proper name of a member of the chorus, but often the word gerong is used to refer to the unison male chorus that sings with the gamelan. The chorus or the melody may also be called the gerongan.The gerong generally sings...
(for male singers) or sindhen
Sindhen
A pesindhèn is a female solo singer who sings with a gamelan. They may perform in unaccompanied music, dance, or wayang performances....
(for female singers) can be added in certain sections of pieces, as can alok
Alok
"Alok" is a Sanskrit language word, it means "Light"Aalok is a style of singing used in Javanese gamelan. It is generally performed by the gerong...
, vocal cries that accent certain parts of the form or melody.