Gamelan Gong Gong

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A piece influenced by gamelan music from Indonesia providing an opportunity for pupils to perform repeating patterns which fit together in layers.

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Gamelan Gong Gong

This piece is influenced by gamelan music from Indonesia - especially Bali and Java - and provides an opportunity for pupils to perform repeating patterns which fit together in layers.

Gamelan music has a special emphasis on metallic sounds and beautiful mallet instruments, for which glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, chime bars, etc provide a good equivalent.

Keyboards, apps, piano and even saucepans can also contribute similar sounds and there is a special section for hand percussion with cutlery.

The main notes are from a five-note pentatonic scale, using D, E, G, A, B, plus a high D and E. In the introduction G and D can be hummed as a drone quietly, continuing right through the piece. Glockenspiels and chime bars can play this too.

• In Verse 1, Group 1 (metal instruments and metallophones) play a tune based on crotchets at a regular pace. To practise this, they can sing and play the tune to the words ‘Gamelan Gong Gong…’ (four times).
• In Verse 2, Group 2 (xylophones drums and medium saucepans) add a pattern of shorter quavers.
• In Verse 3, Group 3 (string instruments, piano and small percussion including cutlery) add a layer of shorter semiquavers.
• In Verse 4, Group 4 (gongs, cymbals and large saucepans) play a layer of long, deep notes to fit ‘Long…, long…’.

Then each group drops out in turn (4, then 3, then 2), until just Group 1 is playing in Verse 7, after which everyone hums a long, low G to finish. Body percussion can also join in with gentle clapping in Verse 1, tapping knees in time in Verse 2, clicking fingers in time in Verse 3 and patting their chest in Verse 4.

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School Radio > Music > Join in with Music