INTRODUCTION

It’s more fun in the Philippines!

These words remind us of our
wonderful experience in studying
Philippine music in our Grade 7
lessons. Truly we should be proud
to be Pinoy for having a very rich
culture especially in music and
arts.
We will now move on to our friendly neighbors
in Southeast Asia. You will notice that our
music is very similar to that or our neighbors.
In this module, you will find different
activities where you can learn and show your
understanding of the basic concepts and
principles of Southeast Asian music. You will
also discover how people from the Southeast
Asian countries express their feelings
towards each other, towards the environment,
and their history and beliefs through vocal or
instrumental music.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you as a learner
are expected to:
 analyze the music of Southeast Asia
 perform using the music of Southeast

Asia
 analyze examples of Southeast Asian

music and describes how the musical

elements are used
 relate Southeast Asian music to the lives

of the people
 explain the distinguishing
characteristics of representative
Southeast Asian music in relation to
history and culture of the area
 perform available instruments from

Southeast Asia, alone and/or with

others.
 improvise simple rhythmic/harmonic

accompaniments to selected
Southeast Asian music
 exploreways of producing sounds
on a variety of sources that would
simulate instruments being
studied

 evaluate
the quality of your own
and others’ performances and
improvisations of Southeast Asian
music using developed criteria
PRE-ASSESSMENT
Before we formally begin our lesson, let’s find
out if you know something about the
Southeast Asian countries. Up next are a few
activities that will assess what you know,
what you can do, and what else you need to
learn to achieve your targets for this lesson.
 Are you ready?
 Let’s travel!
Now, wouldn’t it be fun to visit different
places? In Southeast Asia, there are
eleven countries to visit. If you were
given a chance to visit these countries,
which one would you visit first? Why?
In your notebook, make a list of
Southeast Asian countries you want to
visit. Arrange it according to your top
priorities down to the least and write
the reason why you chose to arrange it
in that way. Use the map to guide you
in exploring Southeast Asia.
A. Vocal / Instrumental music:
Can you recall the differences between
Vocal music and Instrumental music?
Write their differences in your
notebook.
______________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
____________________________
B. Vocal Music
The songs listed below belong to the different
countries in Southeast Asia. Check the box
beside the songs that are familiar to you.

 Burung Kaka Tua

 Rasa Sayang
 Chan Mali Chan
 Ru Con
 Bahay Kubo
 Loi Loi Krathong
C. Instrumental Music
Are you familiar with the instruments below?
Look at each picture and try to guess its
country of origin and identify how it is
played. Try to remember the Hornbostel-
Sachs classification of instruments that you
learned in Grade 7. Is it an aerophone,
chordophone, idiophone, membranophone,
or an electrophone? Put a “smiley” face (  )
beside the instrument to indicate if you think
you can play it.
LEARNING GOALS AND TARGETS
At the end of this module,
 I would like to know about

__________________________________
 I would like to be able to

___________________________________
 I would like to understand

__________________________________
 I would like to perform

_____________________________________
PART I. WHAT TO KNOW
This part of the module will provide you a little
tour of Southeast Asia. It is very important for
you to learn the historical background and
basic concepts that you will need as you go
on with the lessons.
Our discussion will focus on the vocal and
instrumental music of Southeast Asian
countries particularly in Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore,
Thailand, and Vietnam.
Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the most beautiful
countries in Southeast Asia. It is also
known as Kâmpŭchéa. It was the
center of the Khmer (Cambodian)
kingdom of Angkor, a great empire
that dominated Southeast Asia for 600
years. Their music gained a world-
wide reputation in the 1960s until the
dramatic political problems in
Cambodia.
ANGKOR WAT
Art music is highly influenced by
ancient forms as well as Hindu forms.
Cambodian court music is roughly
similar to that of Java, Indonesia. They
feature choruses with large orchestras
based on struck keys and gongs.
Cambodian people also absorbed and
adopted Indian, Chinese, European,
and other cultures to suit their own
traditions and tastes that resulted in a
distinct Cambodian culture.
The Pinpeat is a Cambodian musical
ensemble or an orchestra that usually
accompanies ceremonial music of the
royal courts and temples. Music is
always part of their court dances,
masked plays, shadow plays, and
religious ceremonies. This group is
similar to the Piphat ensemble of
Thailand and usually consists of nine
or ten instruments.
THE PINPEAT
Indonesia
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia
comprising approximately 17,500 islands.
With over 238 million people, Indonesia is the
world's fourth most populous country and is
the fourth biggest nation of the world.
Through interaction with other cultures such
as Indian, Arabic, Chinese and European, a
wide range of musical styles has been
developed. Today the contemporary music of
Indonesia is popular not only in the region
but also in the neighbouring countries.
There are two basic kinds of Indonesian
music scale:
 Slendro – five (5) equidistant tones in

octave
 Peloq – heptatonic (7) tone scale with

semi tone
Both vocal and instrumental music in
Indonesia use slendro and peloq
scales.
 Polyphonic stratification kind of

melody is a result of
hocket/Interlock.
 Interlocking is a common technique

used in gong ensembles.

Irama – is an Indonesian term for
tempo
 Gamelan
The Gamelan or Gamelan orchestra is
the most popular form of music in
Indonesia. There are many types of
Gamelan but the famous Javanese and
Balinese Gamelan are the most
famous. It contains a variety of
instruments such as metallophones,
xylophones, kendang and gongs;
bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked
strings.
Vocal music is used as ornamentation
of the Gamelan. It is as important as
gamelan.
1. Pesindhen is a female soloist singer
who sings with a Gamelan
2. Gerong refers to the unison male
chorus that sings with the gamelan
Remember:
Karawitan is the term for every kind of gamelan
music in Java.
Gamelan orchestras - are used to accompany
dances, songs, and Wayang Kulit
- are believed to possess supernatural powers
- consider their instruments sacred, therefore
stepping over the instrument is a sign of
disrespect
- musicians bow before playing the
instruments to show respect
PARTNER ACTIVITY

After watching/listening to the Javanese

and Balinese gamelan, write down
your description of each musical
ensemble in a sheet of paper. You may
use the guide questions below. As
soon as you’ve finished answering,
compare your answers with your
partner. Check if you have the same
description.
The Gamelan Music of Indonesia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1AiCTJ9t8g
The Balinese Gamelan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmlAZxha8Pw
 The Javanese Gamelan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfrOSJRCsfM
QUESTIONS:
1. In 3-5 sentences, describe how
the Javanese and Balinese
musicians play their instruments.
2. How many instrument players
are needed to form each
ensemble?
3. Are their instruments made of
wood or metal?
Are your answers in the previous activity
similar to the chart below?
So, Cambodia has the Pinpeat ensemble
while Indonesia has the Javanese and
Balinese gamelans. However, the
Indonesian gamelans have singers
performing with them. Do other
Southeast Asian countries have
singers as well as their musical
ensembles? Let’s read on.
 Myanmar
Myanmar was known as Burma until
1989. When the country’s name was
officially changed by the military
government that took over in 1988.
Early civilization in Myanmar dates
back to the 1st century with
archaeological evidences of the Pyu
Kingdoms of Thayekhittaya (Sri
Ksetra), Beithano (Visnu), and Hanlin.
SCHWEDAGO
The music of Myanmar (or Burma)
has similarities with many other
musical traditions in the region,
including Chinese music and Thai
music, probably because its
longest land border is shared with
China.
The Hsaing Waing is Myanmar’s traditional folk
music ensemble. It is made up mainly of
different gongs and drums as well as other
instruments depending on the nature of the
performance.
Myanmar’s musical instruments are
categorized into 2 types, the loud sounding
and soft sounding. The loud sounding
instruments are performed in open-air
ensembles at ceremonies and festivals. Most
of the Hsaing Waing instruments belong to
the loud sounding category.
Other instruments in the Hsaing
Waing are the:
For more formal and classical performances
that are performed indoors, the ensemble
may be accompanied by the saung gauk the
national instrument of (13-string angular
harp with soft sound) Myanmar, the pattala
(Burmese xylophone), or the piano and violin,
both introduced during colonial rule.
The body of the saung gauk is
made of padauk, the famous
Myanmar mahogany, the flat bar
is made of cutch wood, it is
covered with the leather of a
female deer and the strings are
made of silk.
Myanmar not only has musical ensembles but
also an extensive collection of classical songs
called the Mahagita. These songs are divided
into different types like the oldest
repertoires, royal court music, songs of
longing, horses’ dance songs, worship songs
for Burmese spirits, and songs of sorrow and
music adapted from Ayutthaya and the Mon
people. The saung gauk usually accompanies
these songs.
 Malaysia
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in
Southeast Asia. It is divided into two regions:
1. West Malaysia – also known as Peninsular
Malaysia
2. East Malaysia consists of thirteen states and
three federal territories. Chinese and Indian
cultural influences made their mark when
trade began in the country. Trading also
increased when immigrants flocked to
Malaysia.
PAHANG STATE MOSQUE
The country is multi-ethnic and
multi-cultural, which plays a large
role in developing their culture.
The constitution declares Islam
the state religion while protecting
freedom of religion.
Multi-racial groups that influenced
Malaysia’s music genre:
1. Malay
2. Chinese
3. Indian
4. Iban
5. Dayak
6. Kadazandusun
7. Eurasians
Malaysian music is largely based
around percussion instruments. It
has multi-cultural influence and is
believed to have originated in the
Kelantan-Pattani region with a
mixture of Indian, Chinese, Thai,
and Indonesian influences.
The music of Malaysia may be
categorized into two types:

1. Classical and Folk music emerged during the

pre-colonial period and still exists in the form
of vocal, dance, and theatrical music.

2. Syncretic or Acculturated music developed

during the post-Portuguese period (16th
century). It contains elements from both local
music and foreign elements of Arabian, Persian,
Indian, Chinese, and Western musical and
theatrical sources.
 Malaysian Musical Instruments
Musical instruments of Malaysia are
greatly associated with their culture
and roots. Due to colonization, the
stages of development of Malaysian
instruments are great. They share
some common features with Indian
musical instruments. After the
colonization of Malaysia by the British,
the musical development was
influenced by Western music.
Musical ensembles and types of
performances in Malaysia:
1. Agung and Kulintang
This is a gong-based musical ensemble
commonly used in funerals and
weddings in East Malaysia. This type
of ensemble is similar to the kulintang
of the Philippines, Brunei, and
Indonesia.
Agung and Kulintang
2. Kertok
This is a musical ensemble from the Malay
Peninsula that consists of xylophones played
swiftly and rhythmically in traditional Malay
functions.
3. Dikir Barat
This is a type of musical form that is important
to Malaysia’s national culture.
It is performed by singing in groups and often
in a competitive manner usually with
percussion instrumental accompaniment or
sometimes without instruments at all.
4. Silat Melayu
This is a form of martial art that is similar to
t’ai chi. It originated in the Malay Peninsula
since the Christian Era and is a mixture of
martial arts, dance, and music usually
accompanied by gongs, drums, and Indian
oboes.