Javanesse Songs in Pentatonic and Diatonic Perspective

Wadiyo

, Slamet Haryono

, Joko Wiyoso

and Gita Surya Shabrina

Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia

gitasuryamusik@gmail.com

Keywords: Song, Pentatonic, Diatonic, Music, Number Notation, Tone.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences between Javanese songs using the gamelan pentatonic

musical notation with Javanese songs using Western diatonic musical notation. The research method applied

is qualitative. Meanwhile, the design research is case studies. The focus of the research relates to the intervals

between pentatonic and diatonic tones found in Javanese song and how to write the notation. Data analysis

uses perspective karawitanology and musicology. The results showed that there were differences between

Javanese songs written using the Javanese gamelan pentatonic musical notation with Javanese song written

using diatonic music notation. The difference is mainly in how to sing it and the distance or interval of each

note. Thus, when the song was sung, the taste of the song became very different in terms of its musical aspects.

This is understandable because the intervals or distances between the notes are not the same. The way to write

the Javanese songs notation with diatonic music notation is also different even though both use writing in the

form of number notes. The main difference is the Javanese song notation is usually written without a line,

while the diatonic musical notation uses a time signature line. Besides that, in writing Javanese songs that use

Javanese gamelan notation, the laras is always mentioned.

1 INTRODUCTION

Songs in art life in Javanese society are understood as

tembang or songs. In the beginning, tembang was

associated with pentatonic gamelan music while

songs or songs were associated with general music

originating from diatonic Western music. In its

development to date, many Javanese songs are sung

and written in the form of two versions, namely the

pentatonic version of gamelan and Western diatonic.

Gamelan music is known as the scale called laras

pelog and slendro, while diatonic Western music is

known for its diatonic scale. Scale in laras pelog is

written using numbers 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 which are read as

nem, ji, ro, lu, pat, mo, nem. The scale in the laras

slendro is written using numbers 1 2 3 5 6 1 which are

read as ji, ro, lu, mo, nem, ji. The point is that diatonic

Western music is written using numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 read do, re. mi. Fa, sol, la, si, do.

Some researches on pentatonic and diatonic music

that are related to Javanese songs also have been done

by some researchers, for example what is done by

Restiningrum (2016). The study looked at the

characteristics of mixing gamelan pentatonic music

with Western diatonic music that was used to

accompany a song known as Badutan music. Initially

this art was purely the art of gamelan music or

karawitan which accompanied the Javanese song

known as Sindenan. However, nowadays along with

the development, the music of Badutan also

accompanies many diatonic songs. The tone between

the gamelan pentatonic music and diatonic general

singing is very different, but in Badutan music it is

still done by emphasizing humorous nuances.

Takari (2014) conducted a research on the

pentatonic and diatonic scales in general review. In

this study, it was found that (1) Pentatonic music

developed in Asia and parts of Eastern Europe, while

diatonic music emerged and developed in the West,

which is now spread throughout the world. (2) The

pentatonic scale is based on horizontal melodies

while the scale is diatonic in terms of vertical

melodies. (3) The pentatonic scale is produced in

cyclic and divisive systems, while the diatonic scale

is produced in a single divisive system. (4) the

pentatonic scale is produced from an instrument

designed to produce melodic tones, while the diatonic

scale is produced from instruments designed to

produce melodic and harmonious tones. (5) the

pentatonic scale is associated with music that is

Wadiyo, ., Haryono, S., Wiyoso, J. and Shabrina, G.

Javanesse Songs in Pentatonic and Diatonic Perspective.

DOI: 10.5220/0009032001410146

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Intermedia Arts and Creative Technology (CREATIVEARTS 2019), pages 141-146

ISBN: 978-989-758-430-5

141

associated with extra musicals while the diatonic

scale is associated with the cultivation of non-extra

musical music.

Research conducted by Aryanto (2018) is related

with the creation of the Soepra gamelan adapted from

Javanese gamelan. The tone color is still a gamelan

tone but using the diatonic scale. The creation of the

Soepra gamelan is intended to keep it from

eliminating the color of local traditional music but

can be used for wider artistic purposes, both to play

local traditional music and to play diatonic general

music.

For local traditional arts such as songs that use the

pentatonic scale to be changed in diatonic laras.

Based on the findings Spiller (2009) explained,

gamelan music that has a pelog and slendro style is

more developed into diatonic-style music because it

responds to the development of popular diatonic

music in Indonesia. Therefore, it has been a common

thing that gamelan music those who are pentatonic

are changed into diatonic music.

Javanese song in pelog and slendro as the

pentatonic Javanese gamelan music are presented

through research produced by Heriwati (2010) has

found that Javanese songs contain moral messages for

behavioral teachings seen as good, instilling

knowledge and invitations to do various actions that

are useful for society, nation, and country. The

message of this song was delivered in the form of a

song which at first always used the accompaniment

of gamelan music or karawitan with laras pelog or

slendro. Javanese songs like that have now been

changed into diatonic songs because pelog and or

slendro tones are then transferred to diatonic tones.

The function of pentatonic gamelan music is lost

when the existing song notation has been made in

diatonic form. Heriwati (2010) found that Javanese

songs is divided into three main points, namely

Tembang Gede, Tembang Tenagahan, Tembang Alit,

and there are additional songs named Tembang

Dolanan. This Tembang Dolanan is the one with the

most chants sung by being converted into diatonic

tones.

Even though Tembang Dolanan is currently being

used more in the community in diatonic tones, for the

public or public schools that still uphold the noble

values of Javanese culture, there are also those who

still preserve using the pelog and slendro as gamelan

music laras that conducted in Primary Schools in the

Surakarta area of Central Java (Supeni, 2015).

Various preliminary studies, all of which are closely

related to Javanese songs, both Javanese songs in the

form of pelog and slendro gamelan music and

Javanese songs in the form of Western music are

diatonic. Even so, the results of the study specifically

analyzed the differences between Javanese songs

using the gamelan pentatonic musical notation with

Javanese songs using Western diatonic musical

notation.

Based on the background, the problem raised in

this study is concerning first, how Javanese songs in

particular are written in the ideology of Javanese

gamelan music writing and in the diatonic musical

model. Second, how to sing the Javanese song in the

context of Javanese gamelan music is pentatonic and

in the Western musical perspective diatonic. Based on

these problems, the objectives of this study can be

conveyed, namely to find out the different forms of

Tembang Jawa (Javanese Songs) notation in the

context of Pentatonic Javanese gamelan music and in

the Western musical perspective of Diatonic.

Secondly to know the difference in inter-tone

intervals from Javanese songs that use pentatonic

Javanese gamelan notation with the tones of Dolanan

songs using diatonic musical notation.

2 RESEARCH METHODS

The method of this research is qualitative with the

approach of musicology and karawitanology. The

research design uses a case study, which only takes

three examples of Javanese song from several songs

published in Indonesian folk songs. The reason for

taking Javanese song from books is folk songs in

Indonesia because it is assumed that the majority of

Indonesian people know the song from Indonesian

folk songs. The book was used for music art lessons

in public schools at various levels. The focus of this

research is related to Javanese song from the

pentatonic and diatonic perspectives. The pentatonic

perspective relates to the way of writing, reading /

singing, and the knowledge of tone intervals in the

scale or laras. The term laras in the song world or

Javanese gamelan music is considered the same as the

scale. The diatonic perspective relates to the way of

writing, reading, and interval knowledge in diatonic

music.

The technique of collecting data uses interviews,

documentation studies, and observations. The

interview was aimed at the teachers and students of

the Public School about Javanese song used in

learning. Documentation is obtained from document

searches by researchers to various public schools in

Semarang City and Regency. The levels of the Public

Schools are elementary, middle and high school,

which every school uses Javanese song songs in

learning music. Observations were made when the

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teacher taught by seeing the Javanese songs sung

using pentatonic or diatonic tones. When the teacher

or student develops, the notation is taken care of by

the researcher as an observer, until it is known that

the notation applied in the song is using the Javanese

gamelan pentatonic tones or Western diatonic music.

The technique of data validity is essentially using

data manipulation, which is to match data from

interviews, documentation, and observations. The

data analysis technique uses a method of checking

every note used in singing Javanese songs based on

the scale used. Pelog and slendro subscriptions, as

well as diatonic scales are used as keys in analyzing

any distance or interval of tones that appear in songs.

After knowing the scale through the distance or tone

interval used in the song, then the side of the way of

writing the notation is used in the song. Javanese song

notations or songs that do not use a timeline and are

seen as a pelog and / or slendro scale, whereas if the

writing method uses a time signature, the writing is

seen as a diatonic scale. The way of writing the

musical scale of diatonic tone uses western music

model while the scale of pelog and slendro is using

gamelan music model.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the results of this study, it was stated that the results

of the study with the discussion were not separated.

The purpose of the results of this study and discussion

is not separated so that any data presented as a result

of research can be directly explained using

appropriate theories and or concepts. Javanese song

as a traditional art of Javanese society is certainly

known by Javanese society at large. The meaning of

this Javanese song is according to the results of

research by Heriwati (2010) consisting of Tembang

Gede, Tembang Tengahan, and Tembang Alit with

still Tembang Dolanan. According to Supeni (2015)

to date, there are still many elementary schools in

Surakarta, Central Java, which use Javanese gamelan

music and pure Javanese songs, as stated by Heriwati,

even though they are more dominant in Dolanan song.

There is also the form of Pentatonic Javanese

Gamelan mixed with diatonic music which is not

evenly matched. This is often used to accompany

Javanese songs and Javanese singing using diatonic

tunes. The results of the research conducted by

Rustiningrum (2016) noted that many songs with the

strings of Javanese language on them are diatonic

accompanied by using Pentatonic Javanese gamelan

music. One of them was found in Badutan art which

was mostly performed in Sragen, Central Java. There

both Javanese songs with pelog or slendro or

Javanese song diatonic are all accompanied by

pentatonic gamelan music. This certainly makes the

musical feeling uncomfortable or disturbed because

there are many discordant / unsuitable sounds.

The pentatonic tunes that are converted into

diatonic laras and to accompany Javanese songs are

more prevalent and very common. The figure or

musician who changes the tunes of pelog and slendro

music into the very famous diatonic music is

Manthous in his campursari work (Wadiyo, 2018).

Far from that, actually the Javanese song, whose

notation has been changed into diatonic Western

music, has been done for a long time. Books of

Indonesian Regional songs used in Public Schools at

all levels by Rangkuti (1981), this Javanesse Song

notation is also converted into diatonic music. Songs

as intended, for example the song Gambang Suling

(diatonic music version contained in Regional songs

in Indonesia) or Swara Suling (version of the

Javanese Song of Gamelan), Suwe Ora Jamu, Gundul

Pacul, and Te Kate Dipanah. These songs will be

studied more broadly in this discussion.

The side of writing the Javanese Songs notation

from the pentatonic Javanese gamelan to Western

music is diatonic as it is in the songbook for formal

school children as written by Rangkuti which has an

impact on the changing nuances of the song. The

theory of writing the Javanese Tembang notation

actually has been around for a long time Osada (2018).

Initially according to Rustopo, writing a Javanese

song notation departed from giving a number on the

saron (gamelan musical instrument) bar in Javanese

gamelan music to simplify the game by looking at the

numbers. The notation was then known as the

Kepatihan notation. Numbers 1 through 7 are in lieu

of the name tone. The saron’s laras slendro blades

consist of six blades, given sequential numbers from

the leftmost bar to the rightmost bar. The sequence

numbers are 1 to 7 without numbers 4. As for the

saron’s laras pelog blades from the lowest tones to

the highest tones given numbers 1 through 7. Along

with the development of subsequent writing to date,

for Javanese song writing has been like writing

diatonic musical number notation but usually not

given the blue line known as kepatihan notation, like

the following.

It appears in the notation writing, in the lines of

writing the notation does not use the timeline. Besides

that, in the upper right there is the Pelog Nem writing.

The writing is so different from the song writing that

is changed into the form of diatonic Western musical

model number notation. Next, this Swara Suling song

and Suwe Ora Jamu in Western music are diatonic.

Javanesse Songs in Pentatonic and Diatonic Perspective

143

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

In the numeric notation, the writing model of this

diatonic Western musical notation there appears a line

of bars. The timeline shows the number of beats per

hour. The upper right is usually written the name of

the song / song creator, not the name of the laras of

pelog or barrel of Slendro. The term laras in the world

of karawitan and Tembang Jawa according to

Brotosejati (2008) besides being used to refer to the

scale is also to mention the tone. Laras pelog means

the scale of pelog, while laras slendro means thesong

uses the slendro scale. Laras pelog and laras slendro

is often called the pentatonic scale, 5-tone system.

Laras pelog and laras slendro use 5 main tones in a

musical composition karawitan and tembang. In the

song Swara Suling and Suwe Ora Jamu, use the Pelog

Nem tuning. The basic tone is Nem (6). The following

is a song entitled Gundul Pacul which is played or

sung with Pelog Barang and a song titled Te Kate

Dipanah which is played or sung by Slendro Sanga.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

It appears in the article that, besides not being

accompanied by a sign of time, there is also a writing

in the upper right corner of Pelog Barang on the song

Gundul Pacul and Slendro Sanga in the title of Kate

Dipanah's Teaching song. This article is completely

different from the writing of Bald Dip and Tekate Di

Panah, which uses diatonic Western music writing. In

writing notation that uses diatonic Western notation

using a line of bars and in the upper right corner

written the name of the creator or the name of the area

the song originates, as we can see in the following

song.

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Figure 6.

Kusnadi (2006) argues, a composition of songs is

a composition that combines melodic elements,

rhythms, and sound colors in dynamic forms of work

by being decorated with song lyrics in accordance

with the theme being worked on. With an aesthetic

approach, the Javanese song is not only viewed from

the perspective of a writing method, but also looks at

how the intervals that appear in the scale can be seen

that in fact the Javanese song when sung using

diatonic Western music is very different in frequency.

The use of the pelog Nem laras Pelog Barang,

slendro Sanga in Javanese song here is a continuation

of the Javanese gamelan music tradition which until

now is actually still alive but many are transformed

into diatonic musical tone by the user community.

It can be assessed technically that, actually

singing or singing using such as pelog Nem, pelog

barang, and Slendro Sanga is as easy and or as

difficult as singing a song using diatonic western

musical notation. The following can be seen using a

review of the frequency of Western music, which is

also written as pelog nem (6) and Pelog Barang. The

use of the pelog laras of goods relatively using the

laras is rather high because of the tonic tone 3 (lu),

much higher than the pelog bem which uses tonika 6

(nem).

Table 1: The Conversion of Laras Pelog Bem/ Nem Into

Western Diatonic Music Scale.

In the table below it can be seen to see the song

using the pelog or slendro can be very variety

according to the laras and of course the frequency of

the tones is very different from diatonic Western

music. Each tuning (pelog and slendro) may only be

played with two basic tones, namely at the slendro do

= 1 (ji) and do = 5 (five). Whereas on the tuning of

the pelog it is only possible to play the basic note do

= 6 (nem) or do = 3 (lu). This can be explained by

observing the intervals of the campursari gamelan

tones as follows.

Table 2: The use of Tonika in Pelog and Slendro with

Interval Comparison.

At the laras Pelog, a row of 400-100-200-400-100

intervals may only be played in two kinds of ways,

namely the notes do-mi-fa-sol-si-do or sol-la-si-do-

re- mi in the pelog laras are identical to nem-ji-ro-lu-

ma-nem or lu-ma-nem-ji-ro-lu. The two possible

basic notes in Javanese karawitan are included in

pathet nem. In the slendro laras, to arrange a range of

intervals of 200-200-300-200-300 only possible in

two ways, namely: do-re-mi-sol-la-do or sol-la-si-re-

mi-sol which in the slendro tuning it is identical to ji-

ro-lu-ma-nem-ji or ma-nem-ji-ro-lu-ma. Two types of

basic tones are included in pathet sanga in Javanese

gamelan.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of the research and discussion it

can be concluded that there are two themes. First, the

way to write the Javanese Song notation in the

perspective of Javanese gamelan pentatonic music is

to use numerical notation like diatonic music. The

difference is that diatonic music always uses a line of

bars to determine the number of types per time

signature while for writing Javanese Songs notation

does not usually use a line of bars. In addition, in

writing Javanese song, at the top right corner of the

score is always written the laras. While the diatonic

notation is written only the name of the creator or

origin of the song area. Second, the intervals in the

scales are used between the pentatonic and diatonic

perspectives, different. The difference is mainly in the

frequency of each pitch interval. Besides that, the way

to read the notes is different. Reading pelog and or

slendo notations using the Javanese numeral

designation, namely ji ro lu pat mo nem pi adjusts the

laras, while reading Western diatonic musical

number notations is do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do.

Javanesse Songs in Pentatonic and Diatonic Perspective

145

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