on the island.
The Full Ensemble
The following instruments comprise Gamelan Gong Kebyar, the most common gamelan ensemble in Bali.
two gong agung: large hanging gongs (80 cm in diameter)
one kempur: small hanging gong (55 cm in diameter)
one kempli: small hanging gong (35 cm in diameter)
one kajar: small horizontal gong (35 cm in diameter)
two jegogan: five keys, padded mallet
two jublag or calung: five keys, one octave higher than jegogan, padded mallet
two penyacah: seven keys, one octave higher than jublag, padded mallet
one or two ugal: ten keys, regular mallet, fifth note same as penyacah's highest note
four pemade: ten keys, one octave higher than ugal, regular mallet
four kantil: ten keys, one octave higher than pemade, regular mallet
one reyong: twelve kettle gongs played by four musicians, each using two wooden sticks wrapped with cord on the ends
one trompong: ten kettle gongs, played by a soloist
two kendang: double-headed drums made out of nangka (jackfruit) wood hollowed out in an hourglass shape; heads are cow skin
one ceng-ceng: cymbals fastened onto a wooden base facing upwards and played with a hand-held pair facing down
ceng-ceng kopyak: pairs of hand-held crash cymbals
Tuning in the Gong Foundry
The actual tuning of the instruments-is done at gamelan foundries located in a few villages, for example, Banjar Babakan in Blahbatuh (Gianyar); many in Tihingin (Klungkung); Denpasar (Banjar Abiankapas), and in Sawan (Buleleng). Here the smaller knobbed gongs and keys are forged. Large gongs are all made in Java. The metal, which is a bronze alloy (kerawang) of approximately ten parts tin to three parts copper, is melted in a crucible at extremely high heat and then poured into molds. Once the metal has solidified a bit, it is plunged into water and then reheated and shaped in a small fire of coconut shell chips which burn quickly at a very high temperature. After the key has obtained its desired shape, it is sent to the tuners and filers.
The tuner taps a key on the concrete floor to hear its pitch and then trims. The pitch is lowered by shaving off metal from the bottom. This makes the key longer in proportion to its thickness, causing it to vibrate more slowly when struck. To raise the pitch, the key is filed along one of the ends, shortening it to vibrate more quickly. Resonators used to be made exclusively out of bamboo, but today many customers prefer longer lasting PVC piping. The pitch can be altered by changing the amount of space in the hollow of the bamboo or PVC tube. This is achieved by putting plugs into the tube at certain intervals.
Kettle gongs are forged in a similar fashion. First pounded into a flat circle, the sides and the knob are then beaten into shape. Tuner-filers are experts who can hear nuances in pitch even with all the clanging and banging around them. Two holes are drilled in each key which is then suspended in ascending order of pitch over the resonators.
The Cosmic Scale
The lontar script Prakempa, dating to the late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries, refers to the mystical significance of the musical scale as having its roots in the panca maha bhuta ("five great elementals"): pertiwi, bayu, apah, teja and akasa (earth, wind, water, fire and ether). Each of these elements corresponds to one of the cardinal directions (plus center) and is associated with a deity, number, letter, color and sound. The creator of sound, Bhagawan Wiswakarma, took sounds from all the directions and divided them into two five-note scales, pelog and slendro. Pelog is related to the Five Holy Waters and the God of Love, Semara; slendro is related to the Five Fires and the Goddess of Love, Ratih.
The large gong symbolizes heaven while the kempur (medium-sized gong) is the receptacle of all that is holy. The kajar (small timekeeping gong) is Guru, the Supreme Teacher who commands tempo. This is manifested in the microcosm within the musical structure. In the lelambatan (slow instrumental) piece "Tabuh Pat" (Song in Fours), there are four kempur and kajar strokes within one gong phrase. Each instrument corresponds to a part of the human body, and the path of sound in the body also is described in this treatise.
A gamelan without ceng-ceng cymbals is said to be like a meal without salt. The atonal interlocking rhythms spice up the songs.
Sacred and Ancient Ensembles
Almost all gamelan tua or ancient ensembles are tuned to a seven-tone pelog scale. Drums are not used. Their function is purely for ritual. What is deemed sacred depends on both the ensemble being played as well as its performance context. These ensembles are not as common as the Kebyar ensemble and you are lucky if you catch one of them in a ceremony. The ethereal sounds played on iron, bamboo and bronze keys will transport you back in time.
Gamelan Selonding players in Mengwi. An ancient type of gamelan, the Selon-ding used to be known only in the Bali Aga villages of East and North Bali but is now being introduced outside of its traditional realm.
The Meaning of Sacred Gamelan
There is a misconception among visitors to Bali that all music and dance is "sacred" or deemed "temple music and dance." While every kind of gamelan music may be performed during temple or family rituals, some ensembles are considered more sacred than others for several reasons. They are performed in the jeroan, the inner and most sacred courtyard of the temple, they are relatively obscure, and they first appeared prior to the fifteenth century (see p. 22).
These ensembles are not taken out of their storage spaces without offerings and new pieces are not composed for them in their ritual context. However, young composers today are indeed making new music for old ensembles (see p. 102). All of these ensembles utilize a seven-tone pelog scale and are glossed as part of the "ancient" category of gamelan.
The Iron-Keyed Gamelan Selonding
Gamelan Selonding is found predominantly in Bali Aga (aboriginal) villages, mainly in the Karangasem district of East Bali, although it is gaining popularity throughout the island. This is a seven-tone pelog (Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D) iron ensemble used only in a ritual setting. The power of this gamelan is so great that it is said the playing of it can harmonize the spiritual well-being of the village. One of the distinguishing features of this gamelan is that it is played with two wooden mallets, one in each hand. The iron keys are placed over a roughly hewn wooden soundbox, four keys to a soundbox. Each instrument has eight keys or two soundboxes. There is no kotekan or interlocking rhythms, just a haunting and melodious timbre. The ensemble includes five eight-keyed metallophones played by eight musicians.
Gamelan Gong Gede
The largest gamelan ensemble, Gamelan Gong Gede (literally "great
