From tacit to verbalized knowledge. Towards a culturally informed musical analysis of Central Javanese karawitan

Gerd Grupe

doi:10.5565/rev/periferia.496

Abstract

In the music cultures of the world we encounter both tacit and verbalized musical knowledge to various degrees. In order to reconstruct emic views on musical concepts and practices which are a prerequisite of any seriously culturally informed musical analysis we need to disclose local knowledge by appropriate means even if it is not directly open to verbal discourse. Current computer technology enables us to set up interactive experiments where local experts can verbally address relevant musical features in discussing audio examples which have been prepared by the researcher. The performance of virtual musicians can be evaluated by the local experts and various relevant parameters may be investigated individually if suitable versions of customary pieces are available. Thus aspects which seem to be tacit knowledge because they usually elude verbal discourse can be made accessible and transformed into verbalized, declarative knowledge. The paper presents preliminary results of a case study on Central Javanese gamelan music (karawitan) where renowned Javanese musicians commented on computer-generated versions of traditional compositions regarding the idiomatically appropriate performance practice of the virtual ensemble as well as the tuning and sound of various virtual gamelan sets emulated by the computer.

Highlights

Background perifèriaNúmero 20(2), diciembre 2015 http://revistes.uab.cat/periferiaAs ethnomusicologists we encounter different settings in our research as far as musical knowledge is concerned
The music cultures and traditions we study may be characterized by a continuum ranging from those with a detailed, verbalized music theory to those where musical concepts are only partially verbalized
In the former case we may speak of mainly declarative knowledge, i.e., people can verbally explain their musical behavior and the underlying musical concepts and theories

Summary

Musical rules and constraints

I would like to give a few examples of how certain musical parts embellishing the main melody (balungan) of a piece can be explained as being based on the application of musical rules. As far as further constraints for an idiomatically appropriate rendition of traditional compositions beyond correct notes and melodic patterns as well as suitable phrasing and timing are concerned it proved to be instructive to present computer-generated versions of a few pieces which had been prepared without prior knowledge of their common performance practice. They evoked mixed reactions and were generally judged much less favorably than the other ones. In one case the musicians told me that the particular piece of which I had presented a virtual version would never be played in the way I had prepared it on the computer: My version was not conforming to current practice my “treatment” of this piece might have been acceptable for another one

Tuning and sound

Si Madeleine

Conclusion