Gamelan Bali

A gamelan is an ensemble normally composed primarily of percussion. In Bali, orchestras of tuned gongs, bronze kettles, bronze metallophones, bamboo xylophones, drums, cymbals and flutes fill the night air with animated music. Melodic parts interlock, divided in such a way that musicians play alternate notes to form the melody line. These interlocking parts, known as kotèkan, require cooperation and a keen sense of rhythm to perform. The two parts of a kotèkan, which are thought of as male and female, are known as nyangsih and polos. The main accents of the nyangsih part are usually on the offbeat, while the main accents of the polos part are usually on the beat.

Knowledge of kotèkan can be extremely valuable. These interlocking rhythms have a unique way of bringing people together in cooperation towards a common goal, and there are many creative possibilities for applying them to contemporary music.

In Bali, the sound of the gamelan orchestra vibrates everywhere. But for hundreds of years, music has been an activity exclusively for the men in the community and only in the last quarter of a century have women been able to play music in groups.

Tabuh-tabuhan is a collective noun that literally translates into a collection of percussion instrument - the Balinese gamelan. It consists of three movements: Ostinatos, Nocturne, and Finale. McPhee's nuclear gamelan consists of two pianos, celesta, xylophone, marimba, and glockenspiel, with special Balinese gongs and cymbals added for certain sounds. Premiered in Mexico in 1936, this piece fuses Balinese motifs, melodies, and rhythms into a symphonic work. The signature of a Balinese flute melody inspires the Nocturne, unmistakably similar to what you can hear as you walk by the village temple today. The syncopated finale is kindred to the tapestry formed by the village orchestra accompanying a popular dance.

The gong gedé is the oldest and largest of the gamelan orchestras in Bali. The orchestra, made up of various sizes of suspended metallophones (percussion instruments with tuned metal bars), small bulbed gongs, large suspended gongs, and drums, generally employs around 40 musicians. Formerly maintained at the courts of Balinese kings, the gong gedé was used to accompany ritual dances and war dances. Today, nearly every village has at least one gamelan orchestra.