Encountering World Music Quiz 4 Bali/China

Core Melody

Basic melody that is played at 1x speed of gong cycle (1 note/beat) balungong

Elaboration of core melody

2x or 4x the speed of the core melody

Gamelan

Bali or Javanese ensemble of mostly metal percussion instruments.

Gong

Large, circular metal percussion instrument used in Gamelan music, producing a deep resonant sound when struck. Idiophone

Gong Cycle

Series of gongs sounding with the largest/lowest gong sounding on last beat. Thought to represent life cycle or religious cycle

Interlocking

A musical technique where different musicians play complementary melodic lines that together create a cohesive rhythmic and melodic texture, commonly used in Gamelan music.

Intonation

How “in-tune” is the note? In Balinese music, the range is wider and less strict than western tuning

Irama

A term in Gamelan music that refers to the speed or tempo of the music, influencing the rhythmic feel and density of the texture.

Gamelan Gong Kebyar

Big new genre in Bali in 20th and 21st centuries. Means “ensemble gong flare up” Based on sun changes. It has interlocking patterns, sudden changes, lots of variety, syncopation, starts and stops, and much more

Microtonal

non-western tuning or “in the cracks”

Ostinato

Repeated musical idea/patterns (stubborn)

Paired Tuning

Each note is played by a pair of instruments detuned slightly to create beats or “waves”

Pelog

One of the newer major scale systems in Bali. 7 notes per octave. Not in same places as western scale (not equally spaced). Often just use 5 of the 7 notes

Rame

full, boisterous, active = good

Rebab

Indonesian bowed fiddle with two strings in gamelan ensembles

Slendro

Older scale system. 5 notes per octave that are fairly evenly spaced. traditional/more formal. used at funerals/cremation ceremonies and puppet theater

Theory of Formulaic Composition

A method used in many musical traditions where music is composed using set formulas or patterns, often allowing for improvisation within a structured framework.

Homophonic

Melody and accompaniment

Homorhythmic

“same rhythm” but in harmony

Heterophonic

Multiple versions of one melody happening at one time

Monophonic

“one sound” single melodic line

Compound Melody

multiple melodic lines interlocking back and forth

Cultural Revolution

1966-1976. to root out capitalists and traditionalists from Chinese society. most traditional chinese music is banned because its precommunist. western music and guqin specifically banned

Free rhythm

no regular beat/pulse

Guqin

horizontal plucked zither with 7 strings and no frets. Strings are fairly low and are tuned to pentatonic scale. Right hand plucks while left hand fingers notes. Harmonies are important . 2,500 year history. instrument of the literati.

Harmonics

overtones produced by vibrating strings, important in guqin music.

Imperial Dynasty

1700 BCE - 1911 CE. hereditary emperors

Jiangnam sizhu

Instrumental ensemble that started in the 19th c. by the urban elite. Began in Jiangnam region. sizhu means silk and bamboo. Melody is played on string instruments and woodwinds (bamboo flute). Often played at tea houses informally for own players enjoyment

Literati

bureaucratic elite class

Mao Zedong

Leading figure in the Chinese Communist Party, he was the founding father of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and served as its chairman until his death in 1976.

Pentatonic Scale

5 notes per octave

Republic of China

1912 - 1949. Guqin falls out of favor when government changes. Jiangnam sizhu genre was not affected much by change because it wasnt assoicated with the governmentand remained popular among local communities.

Tablature

How to play the notes. Tells you what technique to use and where to pluck string

Dizi

A traditional Chinese bamboo flute known for its bright, melodic sound and used in various genres of Chinese music.

Erhu

bowed fiddle with 2 strings (bow is between strings). Originates in 11th c china

Pipa

plucked fretted lute. Means “plucking across and back” ie strumming. developed in 7th c

Sheng

bamboo free-reed instrument (free reed works like harmonica or accordion)

Bali

One island of Indonesia (6,000 islands). 270 M population. ½ population lives in Java. Primarily Hindu

Indonesia

4th largest population rank. largest muslim majority country in the world. Became independent from Holland in 1949 after 4 year war. no “single” Indonesian culture

Music in Bali

Music functions to connect present to past, to give people a way to participate in religious ceremony, and to foster community

Video 9.2 Balanese Gamelan

All metalic percussion instruments and one drum. lots of repeating patterns. in cycles. microtonal intonation. Javanese pelog and slendro scales

Kendang

hand drum that leads ensemble

Video “Landrang Asmaradana Kethoprakan” Javanese Gamelon

Similar to Balinese in the way that it has the same percussion instruments and microtonal intonation but different because it adds in rebab and singing

Rote

Learned by ear and memorized

Video “Sekar Jepun”

Balanese Gamelan - Gamelan Gong Kebyar. Fairly new style since 1950s or 1960s. New music is still being composed. Starts/stops, changing patterns, interlocking patterns, virtuosic

Types of instruments in Gamelan Ensemble

Tuned hanging gongs, tuned “keyed” instruments (slab instruments with tuned bars), Kettle gongs (sit flat on stand), sometimes wooden keyed instruments, hand drum

Gamelan Performances

traditionally not a presentational concert, usually part of something else like life ceremonies, religious ceremony, shadow puppet theater, and dance accompaniment. Music is not sole focus

Ex. “red flower” Kembang pacar

gong cycle played on different sized gongs. core melody. 16 beat gong cycle

Odalan

Temple anniversary celebration ceremony. These include rituals, dance, music, and theater. Usually presented together. Happens for a couple days, demons are invited in and escorted out then Gods are invited in and celebration starts to entertain Gods

Sacred vs Secular in Balinese Culture

No seperation

Balinese Temple

farther you go in, the more sacred the space. Court yards are usually empty but decorated for rame. each courtyard has different ceremony styles

Innermost courtyard

most sacred. older, most traditional arts most associated with Hindu rituals. ceremonial puppet show.

Middle courtyard

Middle sacred. Variety of music. flute ensemble. Audience is people and Gods. Features slightly newer music than inner courtyard.

Outer Courtyard/ outside temple

Most secular. Gamelan gong kebyar. Newest types of music. 20th c to present. The audience is the people.

9.1 C inner courtyard puppet music

lots of repitition. ostinatos. puppeteer controls how intense the music should be. clicks the puppet box to emphasize action and to direct ensemble. Includes gamelan, varying intensity, clicking of puppeteer, puppeteer singing storyand guiding the narrative through music.

How to increase intensity for puppet show music?

louder, faster, busier/more dense/ more notes per beat, leaving ostanato for something different, shorter gong cycles, varying length of gong cycles.

9.1 D Bamboo flute music

bamboo flute music accompaning old Javanese epic tales dipicted in dance. bamboo flutes at beginning, drums come in about halfway through, singers come in later along with metal percussion

9.3 Gamelan Gong Kebyar

3 part form (head, body, tail). First couple minutes is metrically free, lots of starts and stops, and alternating between sections of ensemble. next couple of minutes is full ensemble playing based on gong cycle (more regular). From there to the end is the final flare up with lots of interlocking patterns and unison playing

2 kinds of kotekan

neighbor tone (conjunct) and leaping (disjunct)

social issues around balinese music

integration of the arts are seperate but are presented together. No hard line between sacred and secular. ceremonies always feature music. Music is a communal activity. Interlocking patterns reflect the idea that everyone has their part to play in society. lots of variety. music accompanies and helps to shape events

China History

1700 BCE - 1911 CE = imperial dynasties (hereditary emperors), 1911 = Qing dynasty overthrown and ROC established, 1911 - 1949 = ROC and much interest in western culture and ideas, 1945 = civil war, 1949 = chinese communist party takes control and ROC government flees to Taiwan, 1949 - 1976 = maoist period, 1966 - 1976 = cultural revolution, 1978 - present = post mao

maoist period

purpose of music is propogandafocused on promoting communist ideology and state goals, with music used as a means of control and education.

2 genres in china

solo guqin and Jiangnam Sizhu

Ex. 6,1 Yiguren guqin solo

monophonic, pitch bending, hermonics, free rhythm, compound melody

Ex. 6.2 Zhonghu Liuban

poor recording quality. shanghai tea house 1986. pentatonic scale. heterophonic texture. spontaneous ornamentation and variation. PLayed from memory

Music in China

ROC brings interest in Western ideas and arts and aesthetics. Jazz became popular. western instruments and pedagogy are popular

Mao period

chinese communist party takeover. “Music should support the worker’s revolution” = “music should support and promote communist ideology” = propoganda