Do-it-Yourself : Gamelan Music

 

For all you musicians out there, here is a challenge worth taking up: gamelan music.

 

 

This percussion-based ensemble is like a mini-orchestra, and an intricate one at that – the nuances, notes and tunes intermingle to create some of the purest melodies heard on Malaysian soil, untouched by electronic or artificial modifications.

 

 

Traditionally the music that accompanies most cultural folk-art, gamelan music is a representation of our country’s roots – and just because there aren’t gamelan ensembles in every home does not mean you can’t learn it. With the instruments available in your school or college’s music-clubs and a few friends to tag along, you can create your own gamelan orchestra.

 

 

Remember that:

 

 

1) there will be one base or central melody (called balungan), and every layer will play a variation of this melody

 

 

2) each layer will be played by a different instrument

 

 

3) the gongs with the lowest sounds or pitches will usually start off

 

 

4) the lower the pitch, the longer the note will last, and the higher the pitch, the shorter the notes

 

 

5) percussion-based instruments such as xylophones, glockenspiels and gongs of different sizes can be used

 

 

6) the music must be composed in layers, in groups of four beats each (these groups are called keteg)

 

 

7) The tuning systems generally used are either the five-note scale or slendro, or the seven-note scale or pelog. You may start off by composing the music in layers with a five-note scale of E F A B C.

 

 

 

 

And there you have it – you have composed your own gamelan piece! So test your creativity and musical prowess, and try your hand at traditional music – you might end up surprising yourself.

 

 

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