Key musical features: Gamelan

Indonesian music does not have the same scales as Western music, and is rarely written down. Here are some other key points:

• Gamelan music often consists of tunes that are played over and over again (cyclic melodies).
• Typically, a fast interlocking pattern (played on the pemade and the kantil) is layed over the melodic patterns played on the ugal.
• Western musicians who wish to perform Gamelan use a number notation system instead of the Western staff notation.

Tonality

Two different tuning systems are used in Javanese Gamelan: slendro and pelog.

• Slendro is a 5-note system of whole tone and minor third intervals [Interval: The distance between two pitches or notes. Usually expressed in terms of steps. ].
• The order of intervals is: 2 3 2 2 3 (2=whole tone, 3=minor 3rd).
• Starting at C the staff notation would be:

• Pelog is a 7-note system, although only 5 pitches are typically used at one time.
• The order of intervals is: 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 (1=semitone, 2=whole tone, 3=minor 3rd).