Making It Up Together: The Art of Collective Improvisation in Balinese Music and Beyond

Audio and Video Examples for

Making It Up Together:
The Art of Collective Improvisation in Balinese Music and Beyond

by Leslie A. Tilley

The audio and video recordings on this website closely track and complement the content of the book Making It Up Together: The Art of Collective Improvisation in Balinese Music and Beyond. Most musical examples in the book have one or more accompanying audio or video tracks; other tracks allow the reader to see longer excerpts of the genres discussed, or elucidate additional relevant musical concepts. All of the videos and some of the audio tracks were performed by Balinese musicians in Bali; their names are listed with each track. Yet, because much of the analysis in the book is small-scale, and the genres discussed are often played at such high tempi, many of the shorter audio examples have been recorded as slower “demo tracks,” played by musicians from Gamelan Galak Tika in Cambridge Massachusetts, as follows:

All audio tracks are demo tracks except where otherwise noted.

Improvising reyong norot. Left to right: I Dewa Putu Rai, I Dewa Madé Sakura, I Dewa Putu Berata, I Gusti Nyoman Darta. (Photo by Nicole Walker, 2003. Used with permission.) Improvising kendang arja. I Dewa Nyoman Sura (left) and I Cokorda Alit Hendrawan (right). (Photo by Chelsea Edwardson, 2011. Used with permission.)

Prelude

  • [Video 1] Excerpts of kendang arja. Performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), wadon, and I Cokorda Alit Hendrawan (Cok Alit), lanang, with members of Sanggar Çudamani, Pengosekan, on incidental percussion instruments (p. 2)

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1. Excerpt of Tama’s improvised lanang playing (p. 30)
  • [Track 1.1.1] Excerpt performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 1.1.2] Excerpt in the context of a longer improvisation. Performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 1.1.3] Demo version
Figure 1.2. Collection of Tama’s model lanang patterns (p. 30)
Figure 1.3. Interpretation in Tama’s kendang arja improvisation (p. 31)
Figure 1.4. Recombination of elements from two different model patterns (p. 32)
Figure 1.5. Complex “micro” recombination (p. 32)

Chapter 2

Figure 2.2. Baris interlocking empat pattern on reyong, 1st and 3rd positions (p. 53)
Figure 2.3. Baris interlocking empat pattern on reyong, 2nd and 4th positions (p. 53)
Figure 2.4. Baris interlocking empat pattern on reyong, all players (p. 53)
Figure 2.5. Baris interlocking empat pattern on reyong, composite melody (p. 53)
Figure 2.6, Four “equivalent” improvised norot melodies (p. 56)
Figure 2.7. The five tones of the gong kebyar’s scale (p. 59)
  • [Track 2.7.1] The five tones played on a pair of calung
Gilak gong structure (p. 61)
Figure 2.8. End-weighted cycles and beats: the reyong’s composite Baris melody (p. 62)
Figure 2.9. Oleg Tumulilingan’s core melody on ugal (p. 66)
Oleg’s gong structure (p. 66)
Figure 2.11. Oleg Tumulilingan core melody instruments: stratified polyphony (p. 68)
Figure 2.12. Polos part in interlocking gangsa melody, Oleg Tumulilingan (p. 70)
Figure 2.13. Composite gangsa melody, Oleg Tumulilingan (p. 70)
Figure 2.15. The “base,” Oleg Tumulilingan (p. 75)
Figure 2.16. Comparison: composite gangsa melody and reyong “base,” Oleg Tumulilingan (p. 75)
Figure 2.17. Static (ngubeng) norot on dung (u) (p. 78)
Figure 2.18. dung (u) to ding (i) norot shift (p. 78)
Figure 2.19. Kempyung parallel “harmony” tones (p. 79)
Figure 2.20. Gangsa norot in parallel figuration, Oleg Tumulilingan (p. 79)
Figure 2.21. Improvised reyong norot, Teruna Jaya (p. 81)
  • Performed by members of Sanggar Çudamani, Pengosekan, Gianyar
  • [Video 2] Excerpt of reyong norot from Figure 2.21
  • [Video 3] Longer reyong norot demo shows Video 2 in context
Figure 2.22. Ranges of the reyong (p. 83)
Figure 2.23. Flexible pairings on reyong (p. 84)
Figure 2.24. All core melody shifts (p. 85)
Figure 2.25. Oleg’s core melody (pokok) on calung (p. 85)
Figure 2.26. Comparing improvised cells (p. 86)

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1. Using kempyung on reyong (p. 95)
Figure 3.2. Kempyung below (p. 95)
Figure 3.3. Blending model notes with kempyung on dang (a) (p. 95)
Figure 3.4. Incorporating rests (p. 97)
Figure 3.5. Inherent patterns (p. 97)
Figure 3.6. Improvised patterns using model tones, kempyung, and rests (p. 100)
Figure 3.7. Improvised cells with nonstandard tones (p. 101)
Figure 3.8. The effects of resting on gong (delayed unisons) (p. 103)
Figure 3.9. Delayed unisons, Oleg (p. 104)
Figure 3.10. Delayed unison followed by a rest is more wayah (p. 105)
Figure 3.11. The danger of delayed unisons (p. 105)
Figure 3.12. Preparing the delayed unison: upper-neighbor suspension (p. 106)
Figure 3.13. Core melody anticipation (p. 107)
Figure 3.14. Core melody anticipations with kempyung and rests (p. 107)
Figure 3.15. Anticipation (p. 108)
Figure 3.16. Suspension (p. 109)
Figure 3.17. Anticipation of the pick-up’s upper neighbor (p. 110)
Figure 3.18. Embellishment techniques recombined (p. 111)
Figure 3.19. Anticipation obscured with a rest (p. 112)
Figure 3.20. Suspension obscured with kempyung (p. 112)
Figure 3.21. Embellishment techniques for flexible timing (p. 113)
Figure 3.22. Ornamentation: mordent (p. 114)
Figure 3.23. Ornamentation: double passing tone (p. 115)
Figure 3.24. Creative pitch substitution (p. 116)
Figure 3.25. Interlocking with creative pitch substitution (p. 116)
Figure 3.26. Static-kinetic switch (p. 119)
Figure 3.27. Wayah patterns with static-kinetic switch (p. 119)
Figure 3.28. Unexplained non-standard tones (p. 120)
Figure 3.29. Unexplained non-standard tones interlocking (empat substitution) (p. 121)
Figure 3.30. Extrapolating the step-wise aesthetic of empat (p. 123)
Figure 3.31. Step-wise empat aesthetic in static-kinetic switch (p. 123)
Figure 3.32. The freedom of stasis (p. 125)
Figure 3.33. “Staying on ding and dong” (p. 126)
Figure 3.35. Improvisation on perceived core melody with decreased motion (p. 127)
Figure 3.36. “Rule-breaking” in Kebyar Jaya Semara (p. 127)
Figure 3.37. Kebyar Jaya Semara melody for increase in perceived core melody motion (p. 128)
Figure 3.38. Interlocking with increased core melody motion (p. 128)
Figure 3.39. Oleg’s alternate core melody (p. 130)
Figure 3.40. Empat substitution referencing Oleg’s alternate core melody (p. 130)
Figure 3.41. Parallelism in the core melody for Alit’s new composition (p. 131)
Figure 3.42. Improvising on parallelism in the core melody (p. 131)

Chapter 5

Figure 5.3. Two of Pak Dewa’s taught wadon patterns (p. 182)
Figure 5.5. Comparing Cok Alit’s lanang with Pak Dewa’s wadon patterns (p. 184)
Figure 5.9. Arja’s cyclic structures (p. 188)
Figure 5.11. Comparing lanang patterns from different teachers (p. 194)
Figure 5.12. Cok Alit’s second lanang pattern, “terbalik” (p. 195)
Figure 5.14. Cycling a 2-beat unit (p. 196)
Figure 5.17. Arja’s most basic composite pattern (dasar) (p. 203)
Figure 5.18. Basic pattern with right-hand counting strokes (p. 203)
Figure 5.19. Counting-stroke variations of the basic wadon (p. 204)
Figure 5.20. Wadon patterns from Figure 5.19 paired with basic lanang (p. 205)
Figure 5.21. “Rule-abiding” “on-beat, off-beat” rim-stroke use (p. 205)
Figure 5.23. The “on-beat, off-beat” rule: single versus double strokes (p. 207)
Figure 5.24. The “on-beat, off-beat” rule in improvisation (p. 207)
Figure 5.26. Interlocking drumming for Baris is precomposed (p. 208)
Figure 5.27. Pak Tut’s fixed Dag-Tut interactions, Apuan style (p. 209)
  • [Track 5.27] Two cycles of the full sequence, performed by I Ketut Bicuh (Pak Tut) and partner from Apuan, Bangli
Figure 5.28. Cok Alit’s Tut (T) placement (p. 210)
Figure 5.29. Pak Dewa’s on-beat Dag (D) placement (p. 210)
Figure 5.30. Pak Dewa’s freer use of Dag (D) in off-beat positions (p. 211)
Figure 5.31. Cok Alit’s 2nd-subdivision Tut (T) strokes are often late in a cycle (p. 211)
Figure 5.32. Ngegongin in legong (p. 212)
Figure 5.33. Increased activity and bass-stroke use leading to gong, 8-beat pattern (p. 213)
Figure 5.34. Increased activity leading to gong in 4-beat patterns (p. 213)
Figure 5.35. Signposting ngegongin in 4- and 8-beat cycles (p. 214)
Figure 5.36. Signposting ngegongin in a 2-beat cyclic structure (p. 215)
  • [Track 5.36.1] Improvised by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 5.36.2] Demo version
Figure 5.37. Beats 4-8 of Pak Dewa and Cok Alit’s precomposed interaction (p. 216)

Chapter 6

  • [Video 4] Excerpts of arja singer-dancer Ni Nyoman Candri (Bu Candri) performing a number of different arja characters with various kendang arja musicians (accompanies story on pp. 222-223)

    — 0:00-2:30: Demo showing how the lanang drummer takes cues from the singer-dancer (while she’s seated)
    — 2:30-5:25: Galuh, the refined princess (singer-dancer seated)
    — 5:25-8:35: Liku, the mad princess (with dance)
    — 8:35-end: Limbur, Liku’s overbearing mother (with dance)

    (Note: video quality is unfortunately quite poor, but will hopefully still give the reader the idea of the larger musical and visual context of arja)
Figure 6.1. Relative level of ramé in taught patterns from different drummers (p. 224)
Figure 6.2. Pak Tama’s taught tabuh telu patterns, lanang (p. 225)
Figure 6.3. Pak Tama’s tabuh dua patterns are more ramé (p. 226)
  • [Track 6.3.1] Pattern 1, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.3.2] Pattern 1, demo version
  • [Track 6.3.3] Pattern 2, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.3.4] Pattern 2, demo version
Figure 6.4. Improvisation for batel, Pak Tama (p. 227)
  • [Track 6.4.1] Excerpt performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.4.2] Demo version
Figure 6.6. Pak Dewa’s taught patterns balance sparseness with ramé-ness (p. 229)
  • [Track 6.6.1] Pattern 1, performed with a tabuh telu gong structure by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.6.2] Pattern 1, demo version
  • [Track 6.6.3] Pattern 2, performed with a tabuh dua gong structure by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.6.4] Pattern 2, demo version

    (Note: Pak Dewa did not play Patterns 3 and 4 without variation in any improvised recording session. Thus, there are only demo tracks of these two patterns.)
  • [Track 6.6.5] Pattern 3, demo version
  • [Track 6.6.6] Pattern 4, demo version
Figure 6.7. Commonly used taught patterns too sparse for batel (p. 234)
Figure 6.10. Kredek’s patterns for tabuh dua (p. 244)
Figure 6.11. Interpretation, lanang (p. 247)
  • [Track 6.11.1] Taught Pattern, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.11.2] Taught Pattern, demo version
  • [Track 6.11.3] Improvised Pattern 1, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.11.4] Improvised Pattern 1, demo version
  • [Track 6.11.5] Improvised Pattern 2, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.11.6] Improvised Pattern 2, demo version
  • [Track 6.11.7] Improvised Pattern 3, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.11.8] Improvised Pattern 3, demo version
Figure 6.12. Recombination: pattern displacement (p. 248)
Figure 6.13. Increasing recombination of gesture elements (p. 248)
  • [Track 6.13.1] Taught Pattern, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.13.2] Taught Pattern, demo version
  • [Track 6.13.3] Variation 1, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.13.4] Variation 1, demo version
  • [Track 6.13.5] Variation 2, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.13.6] Variation 2, demo version
  • [Track 6.13.7] Variation 3, performed by I Wayan Tama (Pak Tama), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.13.8] Variation 3, demo version
Figure 6.14. Larger-scale recombination of pattern elements (p. 249)
Figure 6.15. More complex recombination of pattern elements (p. 249)
Figure 6.16. Recombination of segments from multiple taught patterns (p. 250)
Figure 6.17. Recombination through elision of multiple taught patterns (p. 250)
Figure 6.18. Asymmetric recombination (p. 251)
  • Example 1
  • [Track 6.18.1] Taught segment 1 (top left)
  • [Track 6.18.2] Taught segment 2 (top right)
  • [Track 6.18.3] Improvised pattern (bottom), demo version
  • [Track 6.18.4] Improvised pattern, performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • Example 2
  • [Track 6.18.5] Taught segment 1 (top left)
  • [Track 6.18.6] Taught segment 2 (top center)
  • [Track 6.18.7] Taught segment 3 (top right)
  • [Track 6.18.8] Improvised pattern (bottom), demo version
  • [Track 6.18.9] Improvised pattern, performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
Figure 6.19. Cross-rhythmic patterns from Hood’s analyses (p. 252)
Figure 6.20. Cross-rhythm in taught lanang patterns (p. 253)
Figure 6.21. Cross-rhythm in Pak Tut’s favored patterns (p. 253)
Figure 6.22. Recombination creating cross-rhythm (p. 254)
  • [Track 6.22.1] Taught pattern 1 (top)
  • [Track 6.22.2] Taught pattern 2 (bottom left)
  • [Track 6.22.3] Taught pattern 3 (bottom right)
  • [Track 6.22.4] Improvised pattern (middle), demo version
  • [Track 6.22.5] Improvised pattern, performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
Figure 6.23. Cross-rhythm in Cok Alit’s lanang improvisation (p. 255)
Figure 6.24. Cross-rhythm in Pak Dewa’s wadon improvisation (p. 255)
Figure 6.25. Cross-rhythm Blending expansion and recombination (p. 256)
Figure 6.26. Improvised pattern from Figure 6.25 in context: interpretation, recombination, and expansion (p. 257)
  • [Track 6.26.1] Taught pattern (Pak Tama)
  • [Track 6.26.2] Taught pattern (Pak Dewa, dasar)
  • [Track 6.26.3] Improvised passage, demo version
  • [Track 6.26.4] Improvised passage, performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
  • [Track 6.26.5] Longer excerpt shows the improvised passage in context. Performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa), with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments.
Figure 6.31. Chance interactions in improvised performance (p. 262)
  • Performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa) on wadon and I Cokorada Alit Hendrawan (Cok Alit) on lanang, with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments
  • [Track 6.31.1] Taught Pattern, played with the slower tabuh telu gong structure
  • [Track 6.31.2] Taught Pattern, played with the fast batel gong structure
  • [Track 6.31.3] Improvised pattern 1 (top)
  • [Track 6.31.4] Longer excerpt shows Improvised pattern 1 in context
  • [Track 6.31.5] Improvised pattern 4 (bottom)
  • [Track 6.31.6] Longer excerpt shows Improvised pattern 4 in context
  • [Track 6.31.7] Yet longer passage containing Improvised pattern 4, for greater musical context
Figure 6.32. Dag-Tut interactions in improvised performance (p. 263)
  • Performed by I Dewa Nyoman Sura (Pak Dewa) on wadon and I Cokorada Alit Hendrawan (Cok Alit) on lanang, with musicians from Banjar Mukti, Singapadu, on incidental percussion instruments
  • [Track 6.32.1] Improvised passage (note: the excerpt begins in the middle of the first cycle, on beat 4, where the drummers begin their opening pattern for the passage)
  • [Track 6.32.2] Longer excerpt shows the improvised passage in context, lanang
  • [Track 6.32.3] Longer excerpt shows the improvised passage in context, wadon
  • [Track 6.32.4] Longer excerpt shows the improvised passage in context, composite