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Questions and Answers
What is the national instrument of Myanmar?
Which type of music does Mahagita include?
Which of the following statements about Malaysia's cultural influences is true?
Which region is believed to be the origin of Malaysian music?
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What characterizes the 'syncretic or acculturated music' of Malaysia?
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Which of the following instruments is NOT typically associated with Myanmar's classical music performances?
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What role does percussion play in Malaysian music?
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Which of the following best describes the Mahagita?
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What is the primary function of the Gamelan orchestra in Indonesia?
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Which of the following statements describes Balinese Gamelan?
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What is a Pesindhen in the context of Gamelan music?
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What instrument is NOT typically found in the Hsaing Waing ensemble of Myanmar?
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Which of the following correctly characterizes Javanese Gamelan?
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How can musicians show respect towards Gamelan instruments?
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Which statement about the historical name of Myanmar is accurate?
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What type of instruments predominantly comprise the Hsaing Waing ensemble?
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What is the primary purpose of the Pinpeat ensemble in Cambodian music?
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Which of the following musical instruments is NOT part of the Pinpeat ensemble?
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What type of scale is the 'Slendro' in Indonesian music?
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What historical influence has shaped Cambodian music the most?
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Which characteristic best describes the melody type 'Polyphonic stratification' in Indonesian music?
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Which group is similar to the Pinpeat ensemble of Cambodia?
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What cultural interactions have influenced the development of music in Indonesia?
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Which of the following instruments is classified as an idiophone in the Cambodian music context?
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Study Notes
Formal Classical Performances
- The Saung Gauk, Myanmar's national instrument, is a 13-string angular harp with a soft sound.
- Alongside the Saung Gauk, ensembles may also include the Pattala ( a Burmese xylophone), piano, and violin, both introduced during colonial rule.
Mahagita
- Myanmar has an extensive collection of classical songs called Mahagita.
- These songs are categorized into different types: the oldest repertoires, royal court music, songs of longing, horses' dance songs, worship songs for Burmese spirits, and songs of sorrow and music adapted from Ayutthaya and the Mon people.
- The Saung Gauk typically accompanies these songs.
Malaysia
- Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia divided into two regions:
- West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia)
- East Malaysia (thirteen states and three federal territories).
- Chinese and Indian cultural influences grew with the start of trade in Malaysia.
- Increased immigration bolstered trade and further developed Malaysian culture.
- It is a multiethnic and multicultural nation with Islam as the state religion but protects freedom of religion.
Multi-Racial Musical Influences
- Malay
- Chinese
- Indian
- Iban
- Dayak
- Kadazandusun
- Eurasians
Malaysian Music
- Malaysian music largely centers on percussion instruments.
- It is influenced by multiple cultures, believed to have originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region, with a mixture of Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian influences.
Malaysian Music Types
- Classical and Folk music: emerged during the pre-colonial period and still exists in forms of vocal, dance, and theatrical music.
- Syncretic or Acculturated music: developed during the post-Portuguese period (16th century). It blends local music with elements of Arabian, Persian, Indian, Chinese, and Western musical and theatrical influences.
Malaysian Musical Instruments
- Musical instruments in Malaysia are deeply connected to their culture and roots.
- Due to colonization, Malaysian instruments have undergone stages of development.
- They share features with Indian musical instruments.
Music of Southeast Asia
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Cambodia
- Cambodia is known as KâmpÅchéa.
- It was the center of the Khmer (Cambodian) kingdom of Angkor, a powerful empire that dominated Southeast Asia for 600 years.
- Cambodian music gained global recognition in the 1960s, but was then impacted by significant political changes.
- Art music is heavily influenced by ancient and Hindu forms.
- Cambodian court music resembles Javanese music, featuring choruses with large orchestras based on struck keys and gongs.
- Cambodian culture is a blend of Indian, Chinese, European, and other cultures, adapted to suit their own traditions and tastes.
The Pinpeat
- The Pinpeat is a Cambodian musical ensemble that typically accompanies ceremonial music in royal courts and temples.
- Music is integral to court dances, masked plays, shadow plays, and religious ceremonies.
- Similar to Thailand's Piphat ensemble, it usually consists of nine or ten instruments.
Instruments
- Samphor: a double-headed drum played with hands.
- Oneat: xylophones.
- Chhing: finger cymbals.
- Kongvong: gong circles.
- Skorthom: two large drums similar to Japanese drums.
Indonesia
- Indonesia is a Southeast Asian archipelago comprising approximately 17,500 islands.
- With over 238 million people, it's the world’s fourth most populous country and the fourth largest nation.
- Indonesian music has evolved due to interactions with Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and European cultures.
- Contemporary Indonesian music is popular not only regionally but also in neighboring countries.
Basic Indonesian Music Scale
- Slendro: a five-tone scale with equidistant tones in an octave.
- Pelog: a heptatonic (seven-tone) scale with a semitone.
- Both vocal and instrumental music in Indonesia use slendro and pelog scales.
Melody Types
- Polyphonic stratification: a kind of melody resulting from interlocking or hocket.
- Interlocking: a common technique used in gong ensembles.
- Irama: the Indonesian term for tempo.
Gamelan
- The Gamelan or Gamelan orchestra is the most popular form of music in Indonesia.
- Javanese and Balinese Gamelan are among the most well-known.
- It includes a variety of instruments: metallophones, xylophones, kendang and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings.
Gamelan Orchestra Characteristics
- Used to accompany dances, songs, and Wayang Kulit.
- Believed to possess supernatural powers.
- Instruments are considered sacred.
- Musicians bow before playing to show respect.
Javanese Gamelan
- Used for court music.
- Percussion-dominated.
- Style of playing produces a solemn character.
Balinese Gamelan
- Used for sacred music.
- Primarily composed of metallophones and gongs.
- Sudden tempo and dynamic changes are common features .
- Sounds are bright and brilliant.
- The use of fast and rattling cymbal sounds creates distinctive characters.
Gamelan Vocal Music
- Vocal music enhances the Gamelan.
- Pesindhen is a female soloist singer accompanying the Gamelan.
- Gerong refers to the unison male chorus that sings with the gamelan.
- Karawitan is the term for all types of gamelan music in Java.
Myanmar
- Myanmar, known as Burma until 1989, had its name changed by the military government that took power in 1988.
- Early civilization in Myanmar dates back to the 1st century with archaeological evidence of the Pyu Kingdoms of Thayekhittaya (Sri Ksetra), Beithano (Visnu), and Hanlin.
Myanmar Music
- Myanmar music shares similarities with other musical traditions in the region, including Chinese and Thai music (potentially due to its long land border with China).
- Hsaing Waing, the traditional folk music ensemble of Myanmar, is mainly composed of different gongs and drums, along with other instruments depending on the performance.
Hsaing Waing Instruments
- Hne: a double reed pipe.
- Chauk lon pat: a set of eight tuned drums.
- Maung hsaing: larger bronze gongs in a rectangular frame.
- Pat waing: a set of 21 drums arranged in a circle.
- Kyi waing: small bronze gongs in a circular frame.
- Siand wa: bell and clapper (not depicted).
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