Wayang shadow theatre In Bali Part 16

The first sound that the dalang uses to cue his musicians, which sets the tempo of the opening piece, is manifested through a tapping sound. The dalang makes this sound by knocking or tapping the cone-shaped, wooden rattle on the puppet box; he holds the rattle in his hand or in the toes of his right foot. This is similar in function to a jazz drummer using a foot pedal. Three basic sounds of cepala/box are tak (single), blak (simultaneous double sounds when the dalang’s foot and the cepala hit the box), and tak-blak (alternately plural sounds when the first tak is immediately complemented by the second blak). Any composite patterns of the cepala are known as tabuh, a term which also refers to a compositional piece of Balinese gamelan music.

Although each dalang may develop his own distinctive rattle music with different degrees of proficiency and with a wide variation of sophistication, the function of the sound is the same. A dalang invariably employs the sound like a sensor to cue musicians to initiate and stop a motif. Similarly to a musical conductor with a Western orchestra, a dalang uses the sound to keep the beat and to adjust and control the tempo of the music. Most of the time a dalang employs the cepala rattle as a musical device to emphasise the cadence of puppet movements. The effect is similar to the percussive punctuations found in Chinese performance traditions, such as Beijing opera.

• According to the rhythmical pattern and function of each type, the tabuh cepala is distinguished as follows:One stroke, tabuh pisan, has three divisions: a single tak, a single blak and a series of tak . . . tak . . . tak . . . tak. . . .

1. A single tak (only the cepala hits the box) begins a dialogue, speech or speaking.
2. A single blak (both foot and cepala simultaneously hitting the box) ends a sequence of action.
3. A series of tak begins a sequence of action.

• A syncopated pattern of two, tabuh dua, accompanies the dancing of a puppet, or stabbing scene with the kris (sword) and the walk of a lame or crippled Wayang puppet character.
• A syncopated pattern of three, tabuh telu, ends a speech.
• A syncopated pattern of four, tabuh pat, accompanies fighting.
• A syncopated pattern of five, tabuh lima, also known as ngebrag, accompanies Delem, the clown of the antagonist, as he dances, Bapang Delem, and for fighting with Gada (maces).
• A syncopated pattern of seven, tabuh pitu, which is the (composite) pattern of three and four, follows the rest of the actions.

The first stroke is not counted, for it serves to warn the musician about the upcoming cue. In every case, the tabuh of the cepala rattle supports the action or movement of the puppets. It translates the dalang’s conception of character and the demands of the story’s action into tangible sound.

The second device that a dalang uses to cue his musicians is tetikasan, a term which refers to all puppet movements and manipulation. Musicians know that a certain character should have specific music for a certainoccasion, such as when entering or running and whenever a character is angry or sad or in love. Some pieces are even named according to the action of a puppet, for which the piece must be played. For example, the piece of Bapang Delem must accompany the entrance of the comic servant Delem. The piece Gending Garuda must accompany the dance of Garuda the eagle. A good Balinese musician demonstrates personal skill but must also be very attentive to the dalang’s cueing. Musicians do not have to be concerned all the time with the various puppet movements, but it is crucial that they be attentive to the transitional moments or actions. Most errors occur when musicians miss or time transitions badly, thereby frustrating the dalang. In some ways, the dalang is as concerned about the rhythm and impact of transitions in the narrative as a Western theatre director is about rhythm of scene endings and changes. In both cases, the energy and impact of the performance is damaged and the concentration/involvement of the audience is weakened when the performance fails technically in this respect. The Western theatre director spends much of the technical period of a production fine-tuning the required speed and rhythm of these changes, and the dalang works with and guides the musicians to the same end. Formalised movement and cadence, known as ngeseh angsel, a principal for all characters, is the most crucial among the movement patterns. Ngeseh is a jerky, physical cadence of the Wayang puppet, which is a cue that must be promptly responded to by the musicians in order to develop an angsel, an abrupt rhythmic pattern of syncopated accents followed by the orchestra, culminating in a sudden pause which suspends the music.