Gamelan In Wayang

The Gamelan is the musical instruments. In the Javanese Wayang, these instruments nowadays consist of at least 15 different types, mostly made of bronze and generally of the percussion type, mostly made of bronze and generally of the percussion type; a small bamboo flute (suling), one or two horizontal drums on wooden stands (kendang), a two stringed violin-like instrument (rebab) and a wooden xylophone (gambang) are the non percussion and/or non-bronze musical instruments used to accompany a wayang purwa performance.

The kothak or wooden chest. The kothak normally functions as a storage box for the wayang puppets and other equipment such as the kelir, chempala and kepyak. To store a professional set consisting of around 200 puppets, its measurement should be approximately 150 cm. long, 80 cm. wide and 60 cm. high (with lid on).
The chempala or wooden knockers are usually made of teak wood. There are two kinds, one about half size of the other. The larger of these is approximately 20 cm. long with a diameter of about 5 cm. This is usually held in the dalang's left hand, is used to knock the kothak to produce the sound effects and coded orders he requires. When his two hands are busy manipulating the puppets, he uses the small chempala for the same purpose by holding it between the toes of his right foot, for he sits cross-legged, his right foot crossing his left thigh. As mentioned above, the knocking sounds not only produce sound effects, but also serve as the coded orders/signals of the dalang, orders to the musicians on what melodies to play, to slow down or quicken the rythm, to play it loudly or softly, or stop the music.
The kepyak or metal rappers. This is usually made of three pieces of bronze plate measuring approximately 15 cm. long and 10 cm. wide suspended on small cords or chains to the outer side of the kothak. The dalang hits it with the toes of his right foot or with the small knocker held between the toes of his right foot. The function of this tool is mainly to produce sound effects; occassionally it functions as a chempala in giving the coded signals.

Kecapi, 'Hidden Treasures'

The kecapi is a singular Balinese instrument, much like a zither, often lending its melodic sorcery to religious ensembles. This example is crafted from mahogany and plywood, as creative and sonorous design extracts perfected tones from the steel strings. The sound box includes a small compartment to store the key, used to expertly tune the strings. A wonderful instrument for the lover of world music.

Balinese Gamelan

The Balinese gamelan, with its shimmering tones, breathless pace, and compelling musical language, has long captivated musicians, composers, artists, and travelers. Here, Michael Tenzer offers a comprehensive and durable study of this sophisticated musical tradition, focusing on the preeminent twentieth-century genre, gamelan gong kebyar.

Combining the tools of the anthropologist, composer, music theorist, and performer, Tenzer moves fluidly between ethnography and technical discussions of musical composition and structure. In an approach as intricate as one might expect in studies of Western classical music, Tenzer's rigorous application of music theory and analysis to a non-Western orchestral genre is wholly original. Illustrated throughout, the book also includes nearly 100 pages of musical transcription (in Western notation) that correlate with 55 separate tracks compiled on two accompanying compact discs.

The most ambitious work on gamelan since Colin McPhee's classic Music in Bali, this book will interest musicians of all kinds and anyone interested in the art and culture of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Bali.

ANGKLUNG: A Bamboo Beat

Traditionally, Sundanese dance and music have grown alongside the strata of a strictly hierarchical society. Dances such as the ketak tilu and provocative jaipongan were for the entertainment of the masses, whereas the more refined song poetry (tembang Sunda) and certain forms of gamelan were the preserve of the aristocracy.

These days the differences are fading as art forms follow social trends and feudal systems gradually disappear. Far from being diminished, however, Sundanese performing arts are flourishing, enhanced by an ever widening circle of influences.

Whilst the differing forms of gamelan music may sound rather similar to the inexperienced ear, Sundanese music is usually distinguishable from its Javanese and Balinese cousins by the presence of a clear melody in the foreground. Gamelan degung, traditionally played for the aristocracy, is led by the haunting tones of the suling, a bamboo flute. The more upbeat gamelan salendro - traditional "pop" gamelan - is led by a small, two-stringed fiddle, known as the rebab. Both are carried on the bubbling stream of the gamelan orchestra, a set of bronze percussion instruments producing sounds ranging from the pretty and xylophonic to deep, solemn gongs.

The most distinctive Sundanese sounds, however, come from the angklung - a wooden percussion instrument made from bamboo pipes of differing length and pitch. These are fixed loosely to a small wooden frame and shaken to produce a tremolo. Since each instrument only produces one or two different notes, an angklung group can consist of between 60 - 160 people. These are often children, for whom the angklung group is considered a means of self expression and education. Accompanied by the dog-dog (small drum), the bedug (large drum) and various bamboo glockenspiel-like instruments know as gambang, the combined effect of well-coordinated, interdependent individuals is a unique and magical sound.

The angklung originates from the Badui people of West Java, where it was first used to rouse soldiers' spirits as they went into battle. However, angklung instruments are used for many purposes, accompanying a variety of traditional and Islamic ceremonies ranging from weddings and circumcisions to planting ceremonies, where it is believed the music stimulates growth of newly sown seeds. They provide the entertainment at parties, school graduation ceremonies and anniversary celebrations, or any other modern social function at which a traditional Sundanese flavour is desired.

Deep in the kampungs off Jl. Padasuka in east Bandung lies Indonesia's most renowned centre of Sundanese music and dance. The Saung Angklung Pak Udjo (Pak Udjo's Angklung House) is a partially open air bamboo and thatch auditorium nestled within groves of tall, yellow and green bamboo plants. The front outer wall of the theatre is adorned with Arabic characters reflecting the devotions of a Sundanese community committed to gotong royong working together in harmony.

"You hear - you forget; you see - you remember; you do - you understand." Such is the philosophy underpinning Pak Udjo's educational art. "Through music, we educate people in the art of humanism." Audiences are invited to participate in his angklung performances, whether the music be traditional Sundanese or an angklung rendition of Strauss' The Blue Danube. "By playing the instruments," asserts Pak Udjo, "audiences gain a deeper insight into the nature of the music."

While audience participation and modern adaptations of the traditional musical ensemble reflect the Bandung of today, it is not a gimmick for the tourists. "I began my Saung Angklung to develop and preserve Sundanese art, music and dance," affirms Pak Udjo, a dignified patriarch in the midst of an elegant array of bronze and bamboo instruments. "Then comes Indonesian music; finally, Western music. My children do not perform just for the audiences - they play for themselves. I will make everybody happy for the future of our beautiful country."

Ambitious as this claim may seem, experiencing the musical ensemble in all its rich colour is one of Bandung's finest treats. Performances take place daily from 3.30 pm to approximately 5.30 pm, and the theatre has seating for over two hundred guests. As a prelude, there is a brief "Wayang Golek" puppet performance of key scenes from the Ramayana which will give you a taste of the full, nine-hour performances. The entrance fee is Rp 10,000 for weekdays, Rp 12,500 at weekends. The instruments are also made in the village, under the guidance of Pak Udjo, and individual pieces or whole sets can be bought at a range of prices.

"Many people come for the first time few come for the last," claims Pak Udjo with a knowing smile beneath his long white beard. Indeed, he has seen the trancelike effect of his work on tens of thousands of people in his Saung Angklung; he has been invited to perform for the King of Thailand, delighted audiences at the Edinburgh Festival, received an award from President Soeharto and gained adulation from Indonesia's film and rock idols. He has no doubts of the musical charms of the angklung.

ANGKLUNG TRADITIONAL ART PERFORMANCE


Angklung is a typical art of Banyuwangi. The players are 12 to 14 people. The musical instruments are made of bamboo. Angklung has four varieties; angklung caruk, angklung tetak, angklung paglak, and angklung blambangan.

• Angklung Caruk
  The word of “caruk” comes from the native Banyuwangi word that means “meeting”. Two groups meet and compete to play angklung together which is called angklung caruk. The groups play angklung together to show their ability and skill to one another and also to the spectators. There are usually three groups of spectators. One group is supportive to one angklung group and the other group is supportive to the second angklung group. The third group of spectators is neutral. As the result, the performance becomes very merry because of the tendencies of the supporters.
• Angklung Tetak
  The word tetak come from the language that means “guarding in the night”. Angklung tetak can be a tool that is used to help guard the night. Angklung tetak became famous in 1950. At its inception the Angklung tetak grew at the village of Glagah. In 1974, it was being perfected especially relating to its tone.
• Angklung Paglak
  Paglak is a simple hut which is built in the rice field or near a settlement. The paglak is built from bamboo and it is built about 10 meters above the land. So, if someone want to enter the hut, he must climb first to reach it. The function of this building is as a place to guard the rice paddy from the birds. Farmers usually take care of their rice paddy while playing the musical instrument of angklung in the paglak. Because of this, the art is called angklung paglak. A long time ago, before the harvest, the farmers organized angklung paglak performances.
• Angklung Blambangan
  Angklung Blambangan is an improvisation of angklung caruk. The musical instruments include the gong and a gandrung musical instrument.