Javanese musical structure, continued

• "elaborating parts" are based on balungan. Balungan literally means skeleton, something to be filled in. These parts are not notated, but realized according to rules of improvisation. Balungan also serves as basis for vocal parts in soft-playing style
• drumming:
• drummer is leader of gamelan
• drum parts are dictated by genre: they are generic, including special patterns for beginning, middle, and end of piece
• drummer leads tempo changes as well: typically tempo increases in third repetition of balungan cycle; slows at end of fourth cycle.
• pathet: a subset of the notes of the tuning system, and characteristic melodic patterns
• each tuning system has three pathets corresponding to times of day
• singing:
• solo voice is freer rhythmically than inistruments
• meaning of texts is often quite obscure; the sound of the words is more important than their meaning

Balinese Music

• Bali and Java share many aspects of their history
• Bali religion is still predominately the Hindu-Buddhist hybrid that was also present in Java before Islam spread there.
• Musical principles are similar: two tuning systems are used; shadow puppet theater is usually accompanied by slendro; otherwise pelog is common
• many instruments in common; names are often similar in both languages
• Differences:
• Balinese gamelan music is strictly instrumental
• greater elements of contrast, particularly dynamics and tempo
• instruments come in pairs; members of the pair are tuned slightly differently; creates characteristic "shimmering quality" of Balinese music
• notation system is syllabic, similar to sol fege, rather than the numeral system used in Java