Seleh
Encyclopedia
The seleh note or nada seleh is a concept used in Javanese gamelan
music. It is the final note of a gatra
, or four-beat melodic unit.
The main underlying melodic structure of a gamelan piece, called the balungan
, is grouped into four-beat units (called gatra). This typical grouping of four is similar to a great deal of Western music; however, in contrast with a bar of four beats in western classical music, the strongest beat in gamelan music falls not on the first of the four beats, but on the last. This last beat is referred to as the seleh note.
The seleh note has a crucial role in predicating what decorative patterns (cengkok
and sekaran
) the elaborating instruments such as the bonang
should play, since these patterns usually aim to coincide with the balungan on the seleh note so as to produce aural consonance.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
music. It is the final note of a gatra
Gatra
A gatra is a unit of melody in Javanese gamelan music, analogous to a measure in Western music. It is often considered the smallest unit of a gamelan composition....
, or four-beat melodic unit.
The main underlying melodic structure of a gamelan piece, called the balungan
Balungan
The balungan is sometimes called the "core melody" of a Javanese gamelan composition. This corresponds to the view that gamelan music is heterophonic: the balungan is then the melody which is being elaborated....
, is grouped into four-beat units (called gatra). This typical grouping of four is similar to a great deal of Western music; however, in contrast with a bar of four beats in western classical music, the strongest beat in gamelan music falls not on the first of the four beats, but on the last. This last beat is referred to as the seleh note.
The seleh note has a crucial role in predicating what decorative patterns (cengkok
Cengkok
Cengkok are patterns played by the elaborating instruments in the Javanese gamelan. Typically they are melodic patterns that lead to the seleh, following the rules of the pathet of the piece....
and sekaran
Sekaran
Sekaran is a type of elaboration used in the Javanese gamelan, especially on the bonang barung.It is similar to the cengkok of other elaborating instruments in its floridity and openness to improvisation, but a sekaran generally happens only at the end of a nongan or other colotomic division...
) the elaborating instruments such as the bonang
Bonang
The bonang is a musical instrument used in the Javanese gamelan. It is a collection of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame , either one or two rows wide. All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened head, while the higher...
should play, since these patterns usually aim to coincide with the balungan on the seleh note so as to produce aural consonance.