Today, I want to show you a video of Balinese gamelan. Gamelan is something I have studied in depth and I presented on it for my Honors in Music presentation in November, 2011. A gamelan is two things: an ensemble of instruments and the music it plays. Many people who refer to gamelan call the ensemble a "gamelan ensemble," but, in fact, it is actually just a "gamelan."
Gamelan is a genre of music from Indonesia. It is a very unique percussion ensemble with the occasional string accompaniment by a rebab, bamboo flute, singing, and occasional dancing. The instruments can be separated into two groups: those with keys and those which are a gong or group of gongs.
There are two places of origin where gamelan are primarily found: Java and Bali. The best way to tell them apart is that Javanese gamelan is generally softer (or more reserved in a sense). The video below is a Balinese gamelan, and it is very loud and metallic. Take a look!
What you just saw was an ensemble called gamelan gong kebyar. It is the most traditional type of gamelan. "Kebyar" is usually translated as "to burst open." You hear this in the sound of the group: explosive attacks by all of the members of the ensemble.
India is one of the places I have yet to visit but I wish to do so sometime in the future. Below is a video of a group from India performing the leader's home. Some of the instruments you see are the tabla (drums on the left side) and the shehnai (oboe-like instrument played by the leader).
The player of the shehnai is one of the most famous players. His name is Ustad Bismillah Khan. His playing is very graceful and eloquent. I would have never thought that this instrument could be made to sound so beautiful. But you have to understand before you listen to it that this is a very unique instrument, similar to the mijwiz from yesterday's post. Don't be alarmed by its nasal tone color!
The above recording is from BBC.
Indian music is often referred to as guided improvisation. It is guided in the same way that a jazz performer would be guided through their solo improvisation. A jazz performer uses chords, scales, and form which guide their decisions in their solo. Indian musicians use what is referred to as raga and tala in the same fashion. The term raga can be defined as a scalar-melody form. It consists of both the basic scale and the basic melodic structure. The term tala refers to the concept of a cyclic measure of time. It is similar to the Western idea of form. Tala can range from 3 to 128 beats in length; the most common are 7 to 16 beat cycles.
The music of India is quite complicated and I will continue to research it so that I can tell you more about it! Thanks for visiting this page and make sure to check back every day!
I own one of these very interesting instruments from Egypt called the mijwiz. The mijwiz has two cylindrical pipes with a single reed for each pipe. The player "swallows" the reeds so that you can't even see them. The two pipes are then played simultaneously. You may play parallel melodies by covering both holes with your fingers or you may use one of the pipes as a drone while playing the melody with the other pipe. Most of these instruments have only six or seven holes but pitches can be bent by rolling your finger over a hole. The mijwiz performer plays the instrument while circular breathing (breathing in through your nose and back out through your mouth into the horn without ever stopping to take a breath).
Welcome to my blog about world music, something I've only recently thought about doing. I have always enjoyed exploring all of the many different types of music from the world and I am wanting to spread this appreciation to everyone who enjoys listening to music. Additionally, I would always encourage you to seek out these musical opportunities on your own. It's amazing what you can find on YouTube nowadays. Just about anything!
I have also invested in an ever-growing instrument collection from around the world. All of these instruments owned by me are authentic. You will, without a doubt, see these instruments in my upcoming posts. Instruments that I own include: Zheng (China), Sheng (China), Mijwiz (Egypt), Mbira (many areas throughout Africa, mine was purchased in Namibia), Singing Bowl (Tibet), Gambang (Indonesia), Cajon and Ankle Rattle (Spain, Latin America, Africa).
Every day (I hope), I will find a unique video on YouTube to post to my blog. These are NOT my videos (unless if I'm brave and record myself playing one of my many instruments) and I am only posting them in order to make a comprehensive list of some of my favorite selections of music from around the world. If you have any suggestions as you look through my videos, feel free to email me at mbecker0813@gmail.com or leave comments below to notify me of your findings. I will also give you some background information about the music (what you hear, why you hear this, etc.) which will hopefully lead to a greater understanding of the music and its role in the culture it originates from.
Non-western music will be difficult for some of you to listen to at first. Unusual scales and keys, incomprehensible rhythmic qualities, and unusual musical practices will test your ability to appreciate these types of music. Don't let that deter you from listening to this music! Read what I have to say about the music so that you can understand what you're hearing.
Now, I don't want to just talk to you on the first blog, so below is something I found the other day that is just incredible. If you have never actually seen an actual video of a real snake charmer from India, you need to check this out!
The instrument you will see this man playing is called the tiktiri or pungi. The instrument is commonly played by these snake charmers. It is composed of two cane pipes which are fixed into a gourd which acts as a bag (similar to a bagpipe). Two reeds (one for each pipe) are inside of the gourd and vibrate when air is blown through them, creating a sound similar to an oboe or clarinet. One of the pipes have up to eight holes while the other one acts as a drone with only three or four holes for slight alterations in the pitch.
