The Musical Instruments

Cengceng		Cengceng Kopyak		Jegog
Jublag (Calung)		Kantil		Kempur, Kemong, Gong
Kendang		Ketuk		Pemade
Penyacah			Giying
Rebab			Reyong
Suling			Trompong

The gamelan gong kebyar, also referred to as gong, gong kebyar, or kebyar, is a Balinese orchestra consisting of tuned bronze gongs, gong-chimes, single octave and multiple octave metallophones, a pair of double-headed drums, bamboo flutes, and a bowed spike lute. Around twenty-five players are needed to complete the gong kebyar. The gong kebyar developed out of older, traditional ensembles and first emerged in the north of Bali in the second decade of the 20th century. Today it is one of the most popular ensembles in Bali. Gong kebyar music, which is based on a five-tone, pentatonic scale (see pelog), is characterised by brilliant sounds, syncopations (interruptions to expected accents), both abrupt and gradual changes in sound colour, dynamics, tempo and articulation, and complex, complementary interlocking melodic-rhythmic patterns (see kotekan). Indeed, the term 'kebyar' has the sense of explosive. The repertoire for this ensemble is large and continues to develop in Bali. In addition, since the 1930s, composers from outside of Bali have composed new works for the ensemble. At its best, the music of the gamelan gong kebyar is one of the most exciting, intricate and virtuosic in the world.

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Key Terms and Concepts

Baris		A genre of warrior dances (see Tenzer 1991: 50, 60, 71)
colotomic structure		'... a system that marks off music into temporary units according to the entrance of specific instruments in a specific order at specific times' (Malm 1977:43). The technique of using gongs to mark important structural points in music; 'the arrangement of gong strokes in a given melody' (Tenzer 1991: 42).
Cyclic form/time		Consists of repeated cycles; often goes with improvisation (eg. North Indian Classical or Hindustani music). In Indonesia (Java and Bali) one cycle is referred to as gongan (ie., a cycle that is determined by the gong). This cycle is further subdivided by other instruments (cf. Malm 1977 & Tenzer 1991: 41, 54)
gamelan		'A generic term used for various types of Indonesian orchestra. These vary in size, function, musical style and instrumentation, but generally include tuned single bronze gongs, gong-chimes, single- and multi-octave metallophones, drums, flutes, bowed and plucked chordophones, a xylophone, small cymbals and singers ' (Kartomi 2000:497).
gamelan gong kebyar		Standard modern concert gamelan; used in both sacred and secular contexts
gilak		A colotomic pattern or form using an 8, 16 or 32 beat cycle (see below)
pelog		In Bali, a hemitonic pentatonic scale or five note scale with whole tones and semitones.
kotekan		Interlocking parts: normally comprised of two different but interdependent parts by dividing a beat into four units: the objective is to create a single 'melodic' line (see Tenzer 2000:452).
angsel		Dancer's signal that interrupts the flow of repeated musical patternings; 'sharp, syncopated accent' (Tenzer 1991:50); 'Strongly articulated dance movement and/or musical rhythm, cued and coordinated by an active drumming pattern' interupts flow of repeated patterns' (Tenzer 2000:449).
texture		Interplay of different musical parts; 'the way in which individual parts or voices are put together, or to attributes such as tone colour or rhythm, or to characteristics of performance such as articulation and dynamic level' (New Groves 2000, Vol. 25, p.323).
timbre		Sound colour.
Topeng		A dance, normally performed by a single male dancer, that requires various masks to portray a number of (mainly) male characters types, including kings, prime ministers, attendants, and clowns (see Tenzer 2000:159-160).
rhythm		The feeling of movement in music with a strong implication of regularity and differentiation

GILAK FORM (notation after Tenzer 1991:52)

Gongs and Kempur:	G				G	P		P	G
Kempli beats:	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	etc.
Beat #	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	1

GILAK FORM (notation after Indonesian system)

Gongs and Kempur:	G				G	P		P	G
Kempli beats:	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	K	etc.
Beat #	8	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

References

Kartomi, Margaret J.
2000		The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (ed. Sadie, S.). Volume 9. New York : Grove's Dictionaries.
McPhee, Colin
1976		Music in Bali : a study in form and instrumental organization in Balinese orchestral music. New York : Da Capo Press.
Malm, William P.
1996		Music cultures of the Pacific, the Near East, and Asia. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall.
Tenzer, Michael
1991		Balinese music. Berkeley: Periplus Editions.
2000		Gamelan Gong Kebyar: The Art of Twentieth-Century Balinese Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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Notational Methods

The transcriptions of the kebyar compositions are in both staff notation and cipher notation. The pentatonic scale used in gong kebyar music is indicated on the Western staff as C#-D-E-G#-A, a practice first used by Colin McPhee (1976) and followed by Tenzer (see 1991 & 2000). The cipher notation assigns numbers to the metal keys and gongs of the various instruments; a dot above a number indicates a higher octave while a number below indicates a lower octave. The Balinese solfege equivalents are indicated below the numbers. It is important to note that these pitch representations are approximate, more precise measurements are indicated in cents below:

Pitch names	C#	D	E	G#	A	(C#)
Staff notation
Cipher notation	1	2	3	5	6	. 1
Balinese solfege	ding	dong	deng	dung	dang	(ding)
Pitch interval* P p Difference	C#-27 C#+21 48	D-15 D+28 43	E-57 E-16 41	G#-32 G#+0 32	A-25 A+9 34	C#-3 C#+22 25

* in cents; P = pengisep; p = pengumbang

In the notations, melodies are represented as a series of numbers in rows of boxes. Each instrument is assigned a specific row and each box marks a regular unit of time. A box without a number indicates silence for that unit of time.

The two interlocking parts, sangsih and polos (kotekan), are written on separate staves and rows. The gong tone is regarded as the final of melody and is placed at the end rather than the beginning of the cycle. This is in keeping with the Balinese practice of counting the gong tone as the last in a given cycle (the eighth in an eight beat cycle, the sixteenth in a sixteen beat cycle, and so on) (see Tenzer 2000:169).