Gendhing
Encyclopedia
The gendhing is a class of gendhing structures used in Javanese gamelan
music. Gendhing can also be used to refer to gamelan compositions in general.
Gendhing is the longest and most complicated of the gendhing structures. It is typically played in a slow irama
, although it may have faster sections. Gendhing are sometimes classified by which elaborating instrument is most prominent, called gendhing bonang or gendhing rebab. Gendhing never use the kempul
or gong suwukan.
Gendhing have two parts, a merong
and a minggah
(or "inggah"). Both consist of a single gongan lasting four nongan, but the nongan can be of different lengths. Gendhing are then classified according to the number of kethuk strokes in a nongan in each section. The merong section does not use the kempyang, but the minggah section does. There are two patterns for the kethuk in the merong, arang ("infrequent, sparse") and kerep ("frequent"). Both have the kethuk play only at the end of a gatra
, but in the kerep pattern, it is at the end of all odd-numbered gatras, whereas in the arang, it is at the end of the gatras of doubled odd numbers (that is, gatras 2, 6, 10, 14, etc.). In the minggah section, the kempyang and kethuk play in the same pattern as in the ketawang
, but with no other interpunctuating instruments.
For an example of the gendhing structure, consider "gendhing kethuk 2 kerep minggah kethuk 4." This means that in the merong, there will be two kethuk strokes that happen on odd-numbered gatra, and in the minggah, there will be four gatras per nongan. The structure would then look like:
Merong:
Minggah:
where "." indicates no interpunctuating instrument plays, p indicates the stroke of the kempyang, T the ketuk, N the kenong
, and G the simultaneous stroke of the gong
and kenong. Thus, in each section, the gong plays once, the kenong divides that into four parts, and then that is divided into parts according to the given structure. Here, in each part, each nongan lasts 16 beats (keteg), and thus the gongan lasts 64.
That was a fairly short example; a "kethuk 4 arang" merong, for example, would look like:
and thus a nongan would last 16 gatras (64 beats), and a gongan 64 gatras (256 beats). Obviously, in a long structure like that, especially at a slow tempo, a single gongan may last many minutes.
The merong section may include a ngelik
, which would also have the length of a single gongan. The minggah section may also use one of the other structures, especially the ladrang
. If that is the case, the piece will be noted something like "minggah ladrang". If the other section has a different name, that will be given as well.
Between the merong and inggah is a bridge section called the ompak
. Typically it has the length of one nongan, and a contrasting balungan
melody to the merong.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
music. Gendhing can also be used to refer to gamelan compositions in general.
Gendhing is the longest and most complicated of the gendhing structures. It is typically played in a slow irama
Irama
Irama is a concept used in Javanese gamelan music, describing melodic tempo and relationships in density between the balungan, elaborating instruments, and gong structure. It is distinct from tempo , as each irama can be played in different tempi.One way to think of irama is to use the most...
, although it may have faster sections. Gendhing are sometimes classified by which elaborating instrument is most prominent, called gendhing bonang or gendhing rebab. Gendhing never use the kempul
Kempul
A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the gong suwukan and gong ageng, hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets...
or gong suwukan.
Gendhing have two parts, a merong
Merong
The merong is a section of a composition for Javanese gamelan, a musical ensemble featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs. Specifically, the merong is the initial part of a gendhing...
and a minggah
Minggah
The minggah or inggah is a section of a gendhing composition for gamelan.It follows the merong, after an ompak. It is distinguished from the previous section by the use of kempyang. In the minggah section, the kempyang and kethuk play in the same pattern as in the ketawang, but with no kempul, and...
(or "inggah"). Both consist of a single gongan lasting four nongan, but the nongan can be of different lengths. Gendhing are then classified according to the number of kethuk strokes in a nongan in each section. The merong section does not use the kempyang, but the minggah section does. There are two patterns for the kethuk in the merong, arang ("infrequent, sparse") and kerep ("frequent"). Both have the kethuk play only at the end of a gatra
Gatra
A gatra is a unit of melody in Javanese gamelan music, analogous to a measure in Western music. It is often considered the smallest unit of a gamelan composition....
, but in the kerep pattern, it is at the end of all odd-numbered gatras, whereas in the arang, it is at the end of the gatras of doubled odd numbers (that is, gatras 2, 6, 10, 14, etc.). In the minggah section, the kempyang and kethuk play in the same pattern as in the ketawang
Ketawang
The ketawang is one of the gendhing structures used in Javanese gamelan music.Its colotomic structure is:where p indicates the strike of the kempyang, T the ketuk, P the kempul, N the kenong, and G the simultaneous stroke of the gong and kenong. The W indicates the wela, the pause where the kempul...
, but with no other interpunctuating instruments.
For an example of the gendhing structure, consider "gendhing kethuk 2 kerep minggah kethuk 4." This means that in the merong, there will be two kethuk strokes that happen on odd-numbered gatra, and in the minggah, there will be four gatras per nongan. The structure would then look like:
Merong:
-
- ...T .... ...T ...N
- ...T .... ...T ...N
- ...T .... ...T ...N
- ...T .... ...T ...G
Minggah:
-
- pTp. pTp. pTp. pTpN
- pTp. pTp. pTp. pTpN
- pTp. pTp. pTp. pTpN
- pTp. pTp. pTp. pTpG
where "." indicates no interpunctuating instrument plays, p indicates the stroke of the kempyang, T the ketuk, N the kenong
Kenong
The kenong is one of the instruments used in the Indonesian gamelan. It is technically a kind of gong, but is placed on its side and is roughly as tall as it is wide. It thus is similar to the bonang, kempyang and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Kenongs are generally much larger than any of...
, and G the simultaneous stroke of the gong
Gong ageng
The gong ageng is . It is the largest of the bronze gongs in the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra...
and kenong. Thus, in each section, the gong plays once, the kenong divides that into four parts, and then that is divided into parts according to the given structure. Here, in each part, each nongan lasts 16 beats (keteg), and thus the gongan lasts 64.
That was a fairly short example; a "kethuk 4 arang" merong, for example, would look like:
-
- .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... ...N
- .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... ...N
- .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... ...N
- .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... .... .... ...T .... ...G
and thus a nongan would last 16 gatras (64 beats), and a gongan 64 gatras (256 beats). Obviously, in a long structure like that, especially at a slow tempo, a single gongan may last many minutes.
The merong section may include a ngelik
Ngelik
The ngelik is a part of an Indonesian gamelan composition that contrasts from the surrounding section, either the ompak or merong. It is also sometimes called the gendhing proper, in contrast to the bubuka gendhing ....
, which would also have the length of a single gongan. The minggah section may also use one of the other structures, especially the ladrang
Ladrang
The ladrang is one of the gendhing structures used in Javanese gamelan music.The basic colotomic structure is a cycle of 32 beats in the following order:...
. If that is the case, the piece will be noted something like "minggah ladrang". If the other section has a different name, that will be given as well.
Between the merong and inggah is a bridge section called the ompak
Ompak
The ompak or umpak is a section of a gamelan composition.It refers to the opening gongan of a ladrang or ketawang, or four gongans of the lancaran. These sections are usually repeated, and can be repeated as often as desired. This section is also called the bubuka gendhing, which is not to be...
. Typically it has the length of one nongan, and a contrasting balungan
Balungan
The balungan is sometimes called the "core melody" of a Javanese gamelan composition. This corresponds to the view that gamelan music is heterophonic: the balungan is then the melody which is being elaborated....
melody to the merong.