Gamelan notation ladder-like vertical staff allowed notation of the balungan by dots and also included important drum strokes. "Kepatihan" is widely used in ethnomusicological studies of the gamelan, sometimes accompanied by transcriptions into Western staff notation with approximate mapping of slendro and pelog tuning systems of gamelan onto the western staff, with and without various symbols for microtones. The relative merits of "kepatihan" and staff notation are sometimes debated, but staff notation is essentially incompatible with the 'end-weighted' nature of melodic structures in Indonesian music. In this respect, "kepatihan" is more suitable, although the usage of overscores (taken from the Galin-Paris-Chevé system)
Malay Gamelan Malay Gamelan The Malay gamelan which exists today in Malaysia is basically from the courts of Riau-Lingga, Pahang and Terengganu. Although originated from the land of Java, Indonesia, the Malay gamelan has developed a distinct identity compared to the Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese gamelan from Indonesia. The Malay gamelan was usually played at royal occasions during the reign of Sultan Ahmad of Pahang (1882-1914) and Sultan Sulaiman of Terengganu (1920-1942). Based on the ancient royal gamelan set discovered in 1966 at Istana Kolam, Terengganu, a set of Malay gamelan consists 7 basic instruments, which are: This best royal kept secret