Introduction of Gamelan of Central Java and Yogyakarta

Gamelan orchestra is a musical ensemble that usually highlight metallophones, xylophone, drums, and gongs. The term gamelan refers to the instrument / tool, which is a unified whole that is realized and sounded together. The word itself comes from Gamelan Java language gamel which means hitting / beating, followed by an ending that makes it a noun. Gamelan orchestra mostly located on the island of Java, Madura, Bali, and Lombok in Indonesia in various types of ensemble sizes and shapes. In Bali and Lombok today, and in Java through the 18th century, the term is considered synonymous with the gong more gamelan.

kenong

bonang

drums kendang

saron or balungan

Preceded the emergence of gamelan with Hindu-Buddhist culture that dominated Indonesia in the early days of recording history, which also represents the original Indonesian art. Instrument was developed to shape up like this at the time of the Majapahit Kingdom. In contrast to the music of India, the only impact of the India-an in gamelan music is how menyanikannya. In Javanese mythology, the gamelan dicipatakan by Sang Hyang Guru in Saka Era, the god who controlled all the land of Java, with a castle on the mountain Mahendra in Medangkamulan (now Mount Lawu). Sang Hyang Guru is first created the gong to summon the gods. For a more specific message and then create two gongs, then eventually formed gamelan set. [Citation needed]
The description of the ensemble's first musical instrument was found in the temple of Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, which has stood since the 8th century. Musical instruments such as bamboo flute, bells, drums in various sizes, harp, stringed musical instrument that is swiped and learned, is found in the relief. However, little is found elements of metal musical instruments. However, the relief of the instrument is said to be the origin of the gamelan.
Tuning and making gamelan orchestra is a complex process. Gamelan using a four-way tuning, the slendro, slendro, "gamelan" (special area of ​​Sunda, or West Java), and "madenda" (also known as the diatonic, the same as the original minor scale that is widely used in Europe).
Gamelan music is a combination of the influence of foreign art that diverse. Not regard the tone of Chinese musical instruments of Southeast Asia, drum band and move to music from India, bowed strings of the Middle East, Europe and even the military style that we hear the traditional music of Java and Bali today.
The interaction component is loaded with melody, rhythm and timbre to maintain the glory of Balinese gamelan orchestra music. The pillars of this music brings together a range of rural community character of Bali is the typical order of music which is an inseparable part of everyday life.
For the area around Central Java and Yogyakarta gamelan usually consists of two pangkon (type) that is Slendro and Pelog having a different pitch. Slendro is basically a tone approaching minor Pelog while generating a tone that tends to approach the diatonic tones. The following set of Javanese gamelan are generally most pronounced in Central Java, including:

A. Drums(kendhang)
Drum is a musical rhythmic (not pitched) which controls the rhythm and included in the group "membranofon" is a musical instrument sound sources originating from the lining of leather or other materials.
Drums played by the most professional gamelan players, who have long plumbed the Javanese culture. Played drums most appropriate pengendang instinct, so when it is played by one person premises anyone else it will be different shades.
According to historical evidence, membranofon group has been popular in Java since the mid-ninth century AD with the name: padahi, pataha (padaha), murawa or muraba, mrdangga, mrdala, muraja, panawa, Kahala, damaru, drums. The term 'padahi' oldest graves can be found in the temple inscriptions which dates to 821 AD (Goris, 1930). As written in the book composed by MPU Prapanca Nagarakrtagama 1365 AD (Pigeaud, 1960), the term continued in use until the Majapahit era.
The mention of drums with different names indicate a variety of shapes, sizes and materials used, among others: a small drum, which is being held by the statue depicted the gods, these drums are called "damaru".

2. fiddle
Rebab appear in Java after the time of Islam around the tenth century, 15-16, is an adaptation of the bow of the Arabs who brought Islam by the propagator of Arab lands and India. Spreads in West Java, Central Java and East Java. Fiddle made ​​of wood and covered with a thin skin resonatornya, have two strings / strings and has a pentatonic scales. Musical instrument that uses a bow and have three or two pieces of rope from a metal wire (copper) is his use jackfruit wood (generally) and hollow on the inside covered with cow skin is dried as a loudspeaker.
Other traditional musical instruments that have a shape like a resonatornya Tehyan rebab is made ​​from coconut shell, fiddle this type can be found in Jakarta, Java and South Kalimantan
For Java and Yogyakarta Tengan, these instruments typically consist of wire-tightened string with two wires on wooden selajur with heart-shaped body covered with a membrane (thin skin) from the chronicle of cattle.
As one of the prominent instrument, fiddle song is recognized as a leader in the ensemble, particularly the wasp-style voice. In most of the piece-the piece, fiddle playing the opening song the piece, determine the piece, the barrel, and pathet to be played.
Fiddle tone region covers an area of ​​the piece just about anything. Then the groove track rebab gives a clear indication of the flow path track piece. In the majority of the piece, fiddle also gives guidance to the ensemble musical to switch from one section to another.

3. balungan(saron)
Instrument that is shaped Wilahan (Java: keys) with six or seven wilah (one octave) superimposed on a wooden frame that also serves as a resonator is beaten with a wooden drum.
In this balungan play, right-handed hitting wilahan / sheet metal with a drum, then the left hand punch that knocked wilahan previously to eliminate the hum tone left over from previous beatings. This technique is called memathet (basic words: pathet = push)
According to the size and function, there are three types of balungan:

a. Demung, these tools are large and middle beroktaf. Balungan demung play the piece in a limited territory. Typically, one device has one or two gamelan demung. But there are gamelan in the courts that have more than two demung.

Slenthem, according to its construction, including family slenthem gender; even he sometimes called gender panembung. But the bar has as many blades slenthem saron;
He beroktaf lowest in the group saron instruments (balungan). As demung and saron barung, slenthem balungan played in a limited territory.
Slenthem is one of the gamelan instruments consisting of large sheets of thin metal and strung with rope stretched across the tubes and produces low buzz or echo the tune saron, ricik, and balungan when beaten. As with the other instruments in a gamelan set, slenthem must have version and version slendro slendro. Wilahan Slenthem Pelog generally have a range of tones C to B, while slenthem slendro has a range of tones C, D, E, G, A, C '. How to play:

B.Slenthem beating the same way as beating balungan, ricik, or saron. Right-hand bat and left-handed swing to "patet", ie to withstand the vibrations that occur in sheet metal. In beating the much needed slenthem instincts or feelings of the musicians to produce an echo or a form of good buzz. In the notation C, D, E, G, for example, echoes the beating tone is generated when the right moment to be lost C D tone sounded, and so on.
For the playing of tempo, which used the same way as when using balungan, ricik, and saron. However, for certain circumstances such as demung returns, then slenthem played to fill the void between the tones are sounded balungan slow with doubled beating balungan beats. Or it could be on slenthem conditions must exist balungan beating and a half times as fast balungan being beaten, for example, when the piece Gangsaran.

C.bonang
This instrument consists of a set of ten to fourteen small gong-gong positioned horizontally arranged in two rows, placed on the rope which is stretched on wooden frames. Players sit in the middle on the side of a row of low beroktaf gong, percussion elliptic holding in each hand.
There are three kinds of bonang, differentiated by size, the octave, and its function in the ensemble. For the Javanese gamelan, bonang here there are 2 types namely barung and Bonang Bonang Successor / Penembung.

In the Central Javanese gamelan there are three types bonang used:
a. Bonang panerus
is the highest of them, and use the smallest kettle. Generally covers two octaves (sometimes more in the slendro in Solo-style instrument), covering approximately the same range with the saron and peking combined. He played rhythm bonang's fastest, withered with each other or play at twice the speed of bonang barung.

b. Bonang barung
who pitched one octave below the bonang panerus, and also generally covers two octaves, roughly the same class with a combined demung and saron. This is one of the most important instruments in the ensemble, because it signaled to many other players in the gamelan.

c. Bonang Panembung
is the lowest tone. It is more common in Yogyakarta gamelan style, covering approximately the same range and demung slenthem combined. When present in the style of gamelan Solo, may only have one row of six (slendro) or seven kettles came in the same list with slenthem. It is reserved for the toughest repertoire, usually played other forms of balungan.
The part played by bonang bonang panerus barung and more complex than many gamelan instruments, thus, is generally regarded as an instrument to elaborate. Sometimes the melody played by balungan, although generally altered in a simple manner. However, it also can play a more complex pattern, which is obtained by combining and panerus barung patters, such as mutual alternation of the (yield) and the interpolation of florid melodic patterns (have now).

5. Kenong
Kenong pencon gamelan instruments are elements of the most obese, compared with kempul and that although a large gong-shaped but flat. Kenong is structured in the form pangkon hardwood covered with ropes, so that when struck kenong will not be swayed to the side but can be swayed to the bottom, thus producing sound. Kenong great shape produces a low voice but loud with a distinctive timber (in the Java community caught the ear-rings ning nong, so called kenong). In gamelan, voice kenong fill the sidelines between kempul.
Gamelan is the second most important instrument after the gong. Kenong gong divides into two or four sentences kenong, or kenongan.
In addition to the structure function underlines the piece, the notes kenong also associated with the song the piece: he could play the same tune with the tone balungan, and may also precede the next balungan tone to guide the square the piece song, or he can play the tone is one kempyung balungan tone, to support a sense of pathet.
At kenongan fast style, the Yakan Ayaka, srepegan, and sampak, wasps kenong guide groove track is the piece-the piece.