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 Filipinos
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 of
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.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. listen perceptively to music of Southeast Asia (MU8SE-Ia-h-2)
2. analyze musical elements of selected songs and instrumental pieces heard and performed.
(MU8SE-Ib-h-4)
3. explore ways of producing sounds on a variety of sources that would simulate instruments being
studied. MU8SE-Ic-h-6)
Guess Where I Belong (Pre-test)
Direction: From the pictures of instruments, costumes, folk symbols, artworks, scenery and other
aspects of culture of the Southeast Asian countries, identify the origin of the objects. Write your
answers on your activity notebook.
1. Cambodia (Cambodian xylophone)
2. Myanmar national costume
3. White_Elephant_of_Thailand_Dressed-Sodacan
4. Traditional_indonesian_instruments
5. Bamboo musical instrument
Fasten Your Seatbelt
Direction: You have 5 plane tickets to travel and ready to take adventure to Southest Asian
countries. Bring with you with the map, name each ticket where you want to visit the most and give
two reasons why you choose it. Write it on your activity notebook. Enjoy your vacation!
Here's a breakdown of each category:
Aerophone:
Instruments that produce sound by vibrating a column of air. Examples include
flutes, trumpets, and harmonicas.
Chordophone:
Instruments that produce sound by vibrating strings. Examples include guitars,
violins, and pianos.
Idiophone:
Instruments that produce sound by the vibration of the instrument's body
itself. Examples include xylophones, cymbals, and triangles.
Membranophone:
Instruments that produce sound by the vibration of a stretched membrane,
typically a drumhead. Examples include drums like snare drums and timpani.
Electrophones:
Instruments that produce sound electronically. Examples include synthesizers
and electronic keyboards.
PLAY WITH ME
1. chordophone
2. Idiophone
3. membrenophone
4. idiophone
5. idiophone
6. idiophone
CAMBODIA PRESENT THE VIDEO THEN ASK QUESTIONS TO THE
STUDENTS
1. In 3-5 sentences, describe how the Pinpeat musicians play their instruments.
2. How many instrument players were needed to form the Pinpeat?
3. Are there instruments made of wood or metal?
Indonesia: The Gamelan Music of Indonesia
Based on the videos, answer the guide question in your activity notebook.
1. What is your impression about the music you have heard?
2. What instruments are used in the music samples? (based your answer in Hombostel-Sach
Classification of Instruments)
3. What mood of feelings does it express?
4. How do the instruments help express the mood of the piece?
5. Is the song fast, slow or does the tempo vary?
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.
Compare and Contrast
Direction: Gamelan is very popular in Indonesia. It is quite similar to the kumintang
ensembles of the Philippines. On your activity notebook, make a Venn diagram that
can describe both musical ensembles.
Myanmar
Myanmar: ““Full Moon Night - Burmese Harp””
Based on the videos, answer the guide question in your activity notebook.
1. What is your impression about the music you have heard?
2. What instruments are used in the music samples? (based your answer in Hombostel-Sach
Classification of Instruments)
3. What mood of feelings does it express?
4. How do the instruments help express the mood of the piece?
5. Is the song fast, slow or does the tempo vary?
Myanmar was known as Burma until 1989. 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.
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 two 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.
malaysia
Activity 6: Listening to Malaysian Music
Direction: Listen/watch to the examples of traditional instrumental of vocal music of
Malaysia. For those who don’t have an access to the internet, you can turn on your
radio. Scheduled time of airing will be announced. Answer the guide questions that
follows.
Malaysia: “TRADITIONAL Malay Music - Malay Jungle”
Based on the videos, answer the guide question in your activity notebook.
1. What is your impression about the music you have heard?
2. What instruments are used in the music samples? (based your answer in
Hombostel-Sach Classification of Instruments)
3. What mood of feelings does it express?
4. How do the instruments help express the mood of the piece?
5. Is the song fast, slow or does the tempo vary?
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. 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. Malaysian music is largely based around percussion
instruments. It has multi-cultural influence and is believed to have originated in the KelantanPattani
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 postPortuguese 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.
