Gamelan Nyai Saraswati

Gamelan Nyai Saraswati is an ensemble of the Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Education

Links:
Introduction to Gamelan by Prof. Sumarsam
Gamelan Glossary

Topic:  Introduction to the Bonang  (other topics:  Introduction to Gamelan Music ,  Introduction to the Peking )


Introduction to the Bonang

Introduction to the Bonang

Good references for additional material:

The bonang is, along with the peking, among the most essential of elaborating instruments in the Javanese gamelan. Its distinct timbre and dynamic and melodic range lets it play numerous roles, from basic meter-keeping to extending the aural texture with melodic flourishes. The bonang even commands a class of pieces (the gendhing bonang) that feature it as a solo instrument.

The bonang consists of a set of small horizontally-racked gongs, laid out in two rows. Bonangs usually come in pairs, one tuned an octave higher than the other. The lower-pitched instrument is usually referred to as the bonang barung or simply bonang, and the higher-pitched instrument is the bonang panerus.

A slendro bonang (and corresponding bonang panerus) is generally laid out in the following manner:

    |-------------------|
    6    5    3    2   H1  H2
    1   L2   L3   L5   L6  L1
    |----(symmetric)----|

H=high, L=low

The layout, which at first seems arbitrary, actually allows for the construction of melodic patterns that minimize the crossing of hands, especially in the middle of the bonang's range, from low 5 to middle 2. You will note that, with the exception of the rightmost pots, the pots are symmetric around the center. The two 3's in the middle are adjacent and are a convenient landmark if you are unfamiliar with a particular bonang. These two 3's form an octave, and other octaves can be played by moving in opposite directions in each row. Traversing the bonang from low 2 to high 1 and back again is a useful exercise, as is getting familiar with the symmetric octaves L2/2, L3/3, L5/5, L6/6, 1/H1. The rightmost pots are an exception to the symmetry and extend the range of the bonang at its lowest (low 1) and highest (high 2).

A pelog bonang (and corresponding bonang panerus) is longer than the slendro bonang to accomodate the extra notes in the pelog scale, but has a similar layout:

        |-------------------|
   4    6    5    3    2   L1   7
  L7    1   L2   L3   L5   L6  L4
        |-------------------|

Ignoring the rightmost and leftmost pots, this set up is nearly identical to the 10 leftmost pots of the slendro bonang. Note again the symmetric octaves centered around the 3's in the middle -- in the pelog case, the symmetry covers the whole bonang. The extra pots on each end fill in the notes that exist in the pelog scale but are missing in the center area. The 7's are placed adjacent to the 1's so that they can be interchanged in pieces that require 7's instead of 1's (such as most pieces in the mode pelog barang):

        |-------------------|
   4    6    5    3    2    7  L1
   1   L7   L2   L3   L5   L6  L4
        |-------------------|

The arrangement of the pelog bonang seems very non-intuitive, but keep in mind that the pots on the left and right ends are not used very often, and the main center area retains the same general layout as the slendro bonang (replacing 7 with 1 when needed). The appearance of a 4 in a piece (or 1 in pelog barang) is a special event, which should alert you to do something unusual (i.e. reach for a normally unused pot).

PLAYING THE BONANG

In playing the bonang, the right hand usually plays the notes to the right of the 3's in the center, and the left hand usually plays the notes to the left, with the 3's being shared between the hands. Of course, there are many exceptions to this, so this is merely a guide rather than a rule.

The bonang anticipates and elaborates on the the basic balungan melody played by the slenthem and sarons. The actual patterns the bonang plays depends on both the irama (reflecting the tempo at which the balungan plays) as well as the style of the balungan part.

BONANG PATTERNS FOR LADRANG, GENDHING

MLAKU

In irama tanggung (the starting tempo of most pieces we play) the bonang plays twice as many notes as the balungan. Each bonang pattern is an elaboration of each group of two balungan notes.

For balungan mlaku ("walking"), a style where the balungan articulates all four notes of the gatra (like 2 3 2 1), the corresponding "pipilan" ("picking up") bonang pattern for a gatra of 2 3 2 1 is:

(*)          2           3           2           1    BALUNGAN
(*)    2     3     2     3     2     1     2     1    BONANG BARUNG
(*) 2  3  2  -  2  3  2  3  2  1  2  -  2  1  2  1    BONANG PANERUS

The (*) indicates the last note of the previous gatra. Note that the bonang panerus plays a double-time variant of the bonang pattern.

In irama dadi, which is twice as slow as irama tanggung, the bonang needs to play twice as many notes. A pipilan pattern for 2 3 2 1:

(*)                      2                       3    BALUNGAN
(*)    2     3     2     -     2     3     2     3    BONANG BARUNG
(*) 2  3  2  -  2  3  2  -  2  3  2  -  2  3  2  3    BONANG PANERUS

(3)                      2                       1    BALUNGAN
(3)    2     1     2     -     2     1     2     1    BONANG BARUNG
(3) 2  1  2  -  2  1  2  -  2  1  2  -  2  1  2  1    BONANG PANERUS

The (3) at the beginning of the second system is the same as the 3 at the end of the first system. Note that this is a straightforward extension of the corresponding irama tanggung patterns.

GANTUNGAN

Gantungan ("hanging") occurs when the balungan repeats a note for an entire gatra or half a gatra. In this case one plays a pattern that includes that note and the same note an octave below:

(*)          3           3           -           -    BALUNGAN
(*)   L3    L3    |3|    -     =    |3|    -     -    BONANG BARUNG
(*)L3 L3 |3| -  = |3| -  - L3 L3 |3| -  = |3| -  -    BONANG PANERUS

The |3| indicates that you should also play the higher octave note simultaneously. The = represents a dampening of the lower note of the octave played previously.

When the balungan is "hanging", the pattern in irama dadi is just two repetitions of the irama tanggung pattern:

(*)                      3                       3    BALUNGAN
(*)   L3    L3    |3|    -     =    |3|    -     -    BONANG BARUNG
(*)L3 L3 |3| -  = |3| -  - L3 L3 |3| -  = L3  -  -    BONANG PANERUS

(3)                      -                       -    BALUNGAN
(-)   L3    L3    |3|    -     =    |3|    -     -    BONANG BARUNG
(-)L3 L3 |3| -  = |3| -  - L3 L3 |3| -  = L3  -  -    BONANG PANERUS

A more interesting way to perform the hanging pattern is this:

(*)                      3                       3    BALUNGAN
(*)   L3    L3    |3|    -     =    |3|    -     =    BONANG BARUNG
(*)L3 L3 |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -    BONANG PANERUS

(*)                      -                       -    BALUNGAN
(*)   |3|    -     =    |3|    -     =    |3|    -    BONANG BARUNG
(*) = |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -  = |3| -  -    BONANG PANERUS

Note the repeating three-note figure in both bonang parts, adding a level of rhythmic complexity to the texture.

In any hanging pattern, if the lower note of the octave lies outside the range of the bonang, you can disregard the octaves and just play it on a single pot.

NIBANI

When the balungan have a gatra in the form "rest, note, rest, note", this is referred to as nibani ("falling petals"). In the case where these notes have an ascending shape (i.e. -5-6, -2-3, etc.), the bonang plays "hanging" patterns to each note.

When these notes have a descending shape (i.e. -1-6, -6-5, -5-3, etc.), the bonang can choose from several melodic patterns. Below are some common patterns for the bonang barung (BONBAR) in irama tanggung (IT), and irama dadi (ID). Some example bonang panerus (BONPAN) patterns are also included.

rest 1 rest 6:
--------------
(*)              -               1               -              L6  BALUNGAN

(*)      2       1       5       -      L6      L6       1      L6  IT - BONBAR
(*)  2   1   2   -   5   1   5   -  L6   1  L6   -   1  L6   1  L6  IT - BONPAN

(*)  2   1   -   5   5   1   -   -   5   1   5   -  L6  L6   1  L6  ID - BONBAR
(*)2 1 2 - 2 1 2 - 5 1 5 - 5 1 5 - 1 5 1 - 1 5 1 - 1 6 1 - 1 6 1 6  ID - BONPAN

(other possible patterns)
(*)      2       1       2       -      L6      L6       1      L6  IT - BONBAR
(*)      5       1       5       -      L6      L6       1      L6  IT - BONBAR


rest 6 rest 5:
--------------
(*)              -              L6               -              L5  BALUNGAN

(*)      2       1      L6       -      L5      L5      L3      L5  IT - BONBAR
(*)  2   1   2   -  L6   1  L6   -  L5  L3  L5   -  L3  L5  L3  L5  IT - BONPAN

(*)  2   1   -  L6  L6   1   -   -  L6   1  L6   -  L5  L5  L3  L5  ID - BONBAR
(*)2 1 2 - 2 1 2 - 6 1 6 - 6 1 6 - 1 6 1 - 1 6 1 - 3 5 3 - 3 5 3 5  ID - BONPAN
(???)

rest 5 rest 3:
--------------
(*)              -               5               -               3  BALUNGAN
(*)      6       5       2       -       3       3       5       3  IT - BONBAR
(*)      2       5       2       -       3       3       5       3  IT - BONBAR
(*)  6   5   3   2   2   5   -   -   2   5   2   -   3   3   5   3  ID - BONBAR
(*)  -   5   -   2   2   5   -   -   2   5   2   -   3   3   5   3  ID - BONBAR(if used a lot)

rest 5 rest 2:
--------------
(*)              -               5               -               2  BALUNGAN
(*)      3       5       3       -       2       2       5       2  IT - BONBAR
(*)  -   5   -   3   3   5   -   -   3   5   3   -   2   2   5   2  ID - BONBAR
(*)  -   5   -   3   3   5   -   -   3   5   3   2   2   5   -   2  ID - BONBAR

rest 3 rest 2:
--------------
(*)              -               3               -               2  BALUNGAN
(*)      3       1       3       -       2       2       1       2  IT - BONBAR
(*)  6   1   2   3   3   1   -   -   3   1   3   -   2   2   1   2  ID - BONBAR

rest 2 rest 1:
--------------
(*)              -               2               -               1  BALUNGAN
(*)      2       1       2       -       2       1       2       1  IT - BONBAR
(*)  2   1   -   1   2   1   2   -   2   1   -   1   2   1   2   1  ID - BONBAR

IMBAL & KEMBANGAN/SEKARAN

In the ciblon sections of certain pieces, the bonang will play a complex interlocking pattern (imbal) and end each gatra with a "flowering" pattern (kembangan or sekaran). Some example patterns soon!


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