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A Gamelan Manual: A Player's Guide to the Central Javanese Gamelan
A Gamelan Manual is a comprehensive description of the performance practice of the central Javanese gamelan. It is mainly for the many gamelan players in the West, but also for composers, teachers, and music-lovers seeking a detailed description of one of the most widely heard and widely admired non-Western musical cultures.
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
October 17, 2023
What an enormous amount of work went into writing this work. One feels bad saying anything critical. Once you get into it, you do find things missing.
If you want to read about bonang decorations, just buy it. If, however, you are trying to get into some of the other decorating instruments, it is very thin. Just ask some general questions. If you are starting on gambang, what are good sources for typical patterns ? Should you try to aim for the target note in the middle of a gatra, end of a gatra or every fourth gatra ?
You don't find this kind of thing.
The book is already thick enough, so I imagine the author felt he had put in enough effort. The number of music fragments and diagrams is impressive and helpful. Maybe he should write a volume II.
Appendices 1 to 6 are shown in thumbnail form, with the promise they are available on "the website". I don't think anybody has ever found the website.
If you want to read about bonang decorations, just buy it. If, however, you are trying to get into some of the other decorating instruments, it is very thin. Just ask some general questions. If you are starting on gambang, what are good sources for typical patterns ? Should you try to aim for the target note in the middle of a gatra, end of a gatra or every fourth gatra ?
You don't find this kind of thing.
The book is already thick enough, so I imagine the author felt he had put in enough effort. The number of music fragments and diagrams is impressive and helpful. Maybe he should write a volume II.
Appendices 1 to 6 are shown in thumbnail form, with the promise they are available on "the website". I don't think anybody has ever found the website.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review