Gamelan

Question 0

Where does gamelan come from?

Answer 0

Islands such as Bali and Java in Indonesia

Question 1

What is a gamelan?

Answer 1

A set of tuned percussion instruments

Question 2

What are the three main styles of gamelan?

Answer 2

Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese

Question 3

Where would you usually hear gamelan?

Answer 3

Courts and temples

Village squares

Question 4

What are the main instruments in gamelan?

Answer 4

Gongs, metallophones and drums.

Question 5

What plays the main melody?

Answer 5

The saron

Question 6

What is the name of the main drum?

Answer 6

The kendang

Question 7

What is the gamelan tuned to?

Answer 7

Either a slendro (pentatonic scale)

Or a pelog (a seven note scale that rises in unequal steps)

Question 8

Describe the texture of gamelan music

Answer 8

It is usually cyclic. A short melody is repeated continuously.
All the instruments play the same melody at different speeds. This created a heterophonic texture.

Question 9

Describe the structure of gamelan music

Answer 9

It is structured in cycles. One cycle is called a gongan and its end is marked with a stroke on the large gong.

Question 10

What is the gongen broken down into?

Answer 10

4-beat groups. These groups are called ketegs. They are the equivalent of bars.

Question 11

Name a gamelan song

Answer 11

Bendrong from the album Java the Jasmine Isle.