Gamelan is a type of musical ensemble and genre that originates from Bali and Java. The term gamelan covers a large variety of instrumentations (some gamelan ensembles focus on metallophones and percussive instruments while others utilize bamboo flutes in their ensemble). In “Manuk Rawa”, the type of gamelan used is called gamelan gong kebyar, which is an ensemble that focuses on metallophones and other percussive instruments including gongs, gong chimes, drums and cymbals.
The instruments are tuned to a pentatonic scale known as pelog selisir. Most of the pitches are often heard as sharper or flatter to people who are used to Western music. Although there are seven pitches in a pelog selisir scale, most gamelan ensembles only utilize five notes of the scale. The degrees of the scale that are used are the tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant and submediant. When the tonic is D, the following notes would make up the pentatonic pelog selisir scale: D, E flat, F, A and B flat. However, because each ensemble is tuned to a different tonic, it becomes difficult to create a constant. Instead of writing out music in the Western style, most Balinese write out a cipher score to provide a visual representation, as shown in Figure 1.
The instruments are tuned to a pentatonic scale known as pelog selisir. Most of the pitches are often heard as sharper or flatter to people who are used to Western music. Although there are seven pitches in a pelog selisir scale, most gamelan ensembles only utilize five notes of the scale. The degrees of the scale that are used are the tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant and submediant. When the tonic is D, the following notes would make up the pentatonic pelog selisir scale: D, E flat, F, A and B flat. However, because each ensemble is tuned to a different tonic, it becomes difficult to create a constant. Instead of writing out music in the Western style, most Balinese write out a cipher score to provide a visual representation, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
The numbers represent the degrees of the pelog selisir scale with the underline represents the lower register. The letters on the lower three instruments represent the gong struck and how it is struck. The dots are shown to be the equivalent of rests in Western art music.
The piece “Manuk Rawa” is a gamelan gong kebyar piece made by composer I Wayan Beratha that is meant to be an accompaniment to a dance – or “tari” - choreographed by I Wayan Dibia. The dance itself was originally created in 1981 as a part of a Mahabarata ballet. The Mahabarata is an Indian epic that is very popular in Bali. The dance reprsents the mating ritual of the birds.
The numbers represent the degrees of the pelog selisir scale with the underline represents the lower register. The letters on the lower three instruments represent the gong struck and how it is struck. The dots are shown to be the equivalent of rests in Western art music.
The piece “Manuk Rawa” is a gamelan gong kebyar piece made by composer I Wayan Beratha that is meant to be an accompaniment to a dance – or “tari” - choreographed by I Wayan Dibia. The dance itself was originally created in 1981 as a part of a Mahabarata ballet. The Mahabarata is an Indian epic that is very popular in Bali. The dance reprsents the mating ritual of the birds.