I am grateful to all the people who have helped organize, assemble and refine this book. Thanks to theirefnorts, Pak Cok¡o's beautiful script and incomparable musical knowledge will continue ro serve fururegenerations of karawitan studenrs.
Most of this notation was first collected and organized into a book by Leslie (Dexter) Dhono Isworo in themid-1970s. Vith a calligraphy that imitated Pak Cokro's own hand, she added page numbers and createda table of contents. fu Pak Cokro notated more pieces , a rcotganization of Leslie's work became necessary.
Alex Dea and Laurie Kottmeyer helped conceptualize this new book, and wrore rhe inrroducrion. Gt"gMcCourt was particularly helpfirl in bringing the collection up ro date as of Pak Cokro's rerirement fromCalifornia Institure of the Arts in 1992.
Hardja Susilo strongly recommended that the notes missing due to repeared phorocopying be filled in;I.M. Harjito supervised and assisted in this process and was consulted regarding the order of the pieces ineach section. A.L. Suwardi answered questions about several pieces. Two publications from STSISurakarta were also valuable in checking some words and nores: Doþumentaçi Wangsølan Susan¿n Nyi BeiMørdasari by T. Slamet Supatno, and Dibuang Sayng, a collection of vocal melodies and texrs by R.L.Martopangrawit, edited by Rahayu Supanggah. Djoko \Taluyo was kind enough to provide some rexr forthe pelog volume.
Philip Yampolsþ contributed valuable commenß on the organization of the indexes and orher formats.Susan \Øalton and Andy Sutton provided essenrial advice on spelling, formar and texr. David Fuquaassembled the indexes and assisted with overall design and page numbering.
The final responsibility for suppþing missing text, norarion and tides is my own. Future editions of rhiscollection will be up-dated. Those who use this work are invited ro suggesr correcrions, additional piecesor other conttibutions. I hope these efforts will bring honor and pleasure ro my firsr teacher, and be of valueto those who, like myself, have been inspired by him.
Notes in the margins
Through the years, Pak Cokro's students have written on rhe notadon: notes, translations, instructions,rhythmic hints for ornaments, and other comments. M"ny of these markings are in the collection, either inthe otiginal writing or re-written for cladty, as it is likely thar the notes were raken during lessons with PakCokro himself.
One annotation in perticular invokes a fitting blessing for rhis projecr. At the bottom of Sekar Ag"rgSudira Vicitra is Pak Cokro's own rranslation of rhe lavanese rexr:
I(ømø sd.ls to Drona
donT be ofoi¿
I haue pusaka
Ifl! tirne not a?
Jody DiamondLebanon, New Hampshire,{ugust, 1995
t x
Introduction: May This Serve You Vell
by Alex Dea and Laurie Kottmeyer
The Vocal Notatìon of RRT. lVasitodiningrat attempts to put in one place all of the vocalnotation that Pak Cokro I wrote out while teaching in the United States, beginning in 1971 at theCalifornia Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) in Valencia. Over the years, he has taught at the summerprograms of the American Sociery for Eastern Arts (ASEA), et the Center for'SØorld Music, and atnumerous universities, including the Universiry of California at Berkeley (1977 - 1987).Until 1992, hev¡as very active at Cal Arts and continued to make new notation in his own hand. [He is now retired andliving in Yogyakarta, where a gamelan center is being esmblished to continue his teachings. He hascunailed his activities somewhat, but he continues to oversee recordings of his own compositions and thetraining of several generations of musicians.]
Pak Cokro is well known to aficionados of Central Javanese classical gamelan music. Many, ifnot a great majoriry of Ametican and some European and Japanese students have come under his spell andtutelage at some time; he taught in the U.S. more or less continually from L97l to 1992. Before comingro the U.S., he was the pirnpinan [musical director] of the goyernment radio station gamelan, R¿dioRepublik Indonesia (RRI) in Yogyakarta. In addition, he was pimpinan at one of the four principal couttsin Central Java, the Paku Alaman. Through these nvo posts alone, he greatly influenced the course ofclassical gamelan in this century.
This collection is especially interesting because Pak Cokro is one of few-gamelan experm who isa talented vocalist. \Øhile gamelan directors always exert some degree of influence on their vocalists, PakCokro, through his own natural ability and leaning, feels a particular responsibiliry for ensuring that thevocal music in gamelan-specifically pesindhenøn (female parts) and gelongd.n (male parts)-are properlydeveloped. He numbers his students in the hundreds, mostly in the Yogyakarta a¡ea and particularly inconnection with the RRI radio stetion in Yogyakarta and the palace gamelan group at the Paku Alaman.
In fact, he felt so suongly that the vocal parts must be perfected that he established his own school int964.
Pak Cokro's contribution to classical Javanese music goes far beyond composition. He hastrained many important singers (both male and female) and instrumentalists throughout the years. He
brought Solonese sensibiliry to YogTakarta, single-handedly affecting the Yogyanese musical tradition.
Although Pak Cokro was the leader of the Paku Alaman court gamelan in Yogyakarta, his family roots
are actually in Surakarte, rhe other court ciry of Cenmal Java, making the musical sryle of the PakuAlaman court somewhat Solonese. The cross-fertilization of Solonese and Yogyanese musical sryle
sometimes results in differences between his versions and more predominant Solonese versions. Some of
his worla have found their way back to Solo, cross-fertilizing the court tradidons.The credibiliry of this collection is unquestionable. This is the work of one of the musical giants
of his time and tradition, an ardst with a highly influendal and classical esthetic. The overall gara.Pøn
[interpretation, errangement] is correct. The choice of cenghok lbasic melodic pattern] is correct. Yet, oneis c¿utioned against taking this material as a bible of Javanese classical vocal music.
[Jser's Guide or Reference Manual?This collection might be seen as a reference manual: e source of information on vocel rnusic as
taught by one ofJava's most important classical gamelan musicians, an artist whose careet spans years that
1. Pak Colno (pronounced "choke-row") is the familiar name for K.R.T.'SØasitodiningrat. He was formerþ knownas IC'Wasitodipuro, and before tfiat as Tjokro'Vasito. His students and friends call him "Pak Cokro." [A biographyof K.R,T. Vasitodiningrat is in the eighth edition of Bøþer's Biographicøl Dictionøry of Mushiøns. Eð,.1
lntroduction xi
include Javanese feudal courts, pre-independence, and the modern Republic of Indonesia- This book couldalso be seen as a user's guide, since it provides a wonderfi¡l and practical introduction to Javanese vocalmusic.
Pak CoLco wrote all Êhe notation by hand on I LlZ by 11 paper in the form of a "score." The|esinàhen [female singer] and gerong [male chorus] parts are wrirten undernea th the balungaa [melodicframework]. Typically, the score shows the balungan on rhe firsr line, followed by rhe gerong part if thereis one, and under that the pesindhen part. Each line contains 2 gatrø, (unit of four beats), showing 8 beaæ ofbalungan mlaþuor one gerong phrase. Kempul, kenong, and gong are usually indiceted. The buþa(introduction to the piece) is frequently included. Since rhe norarion in this collection is from versionsthat have been reused and recycled continually through photocopying, some of the pages suffer from lackof clariry, or occasionally have lines cut off due to repeared phorocopying. [Many of the incomplete lineshave been filled in. Ed.] This way of presenting vocal norarion is nor normally used in Java, even forteaching PurPoses in the government music schools. Pak Cokro, however, has used similar noredon roteach classical Javanese voc¿l music ro his studenæ in Java.
This collection contains a veritable wealth of classical music eiramples. A wide range of formsare rePresented, from large sedate pieces like Kocaþ ro shorr, fast-tempo new compositions ltke l(tuiApa Ifuwi, The music appears for the almost mysdcal bedhaya dances as well as the lighrer ladrang endhetøwangforms. Also included are suites of dance pieces used in senl.røtøri [dance drama], bøuølsolosongs used to inroduce pieces], and andhegan and hend¿la.a [intedudal cadenza-like phrases somerimesreferred to in America as "stopping"J. Music from the wayanghulit [shadow pupper rheater] tradition alsoapPeaß: the mood-setting songs ?d.theta.n and løgon, as well as rhe more marrial and urgenr þak-ayøkanarrd Srepegdn.
The collection contains about 40 gendhing and about 100 of the smaller ladrang and kerawangforms. By comparison, Mloyowidodo's two volume compilarion of balungan notationz, considered to berepresentadve of the bulk of the Solonese repertoire, conrains approximately 280 gendhing and 350ladrang and ketawang. Thi" gives a rario of l:7 gendhing md l:4 smaller forms berween this collectionand Mloyowidodo's compilation. Considering that there are many pieces in rhe Solonese repertoire thaterc ørely or never played, this collection provides a good sample of the Central Javanese classical courtstyle and repertoire. It is also a fair cross section of many of the kinds of pieces one is likety ro encounter.Anyone masteting the pieces here will have li*le trouble fitring inro musical situarions in Central Java.
Even so, the collection is not a complete course in Javanese classical vocal music. Some of thelarger classical pieces ltke I{ombangmoro, Morosonjo, or Rondhon ale not included because t}rey are notwidely performed in Ametica, although they are very much a pam of the reperroire. Pak Cokro explainedthat in teaching in,A.merica, there are new students each semester, so it is always necessery to restart at thebeginning of the material. Most of his students haven'l stayed long enough to study rhe more classicalpieces. Besides, it is likely that by the time a student reaches rhe level of proficiency needed rounderstand such pieces, notation of the type in this collecrion would no longer be needed.
For the Solonese-oriented student, there are some unusual items: Yogyanese sendratari pieces andlagon fYoganese pathetan melodies sung by the male chorus]. There âre some surprises as well, includinga bawa (Puspaklito) that Pak Cokro composed for his American studenm and new compositions rypicallyin fast tempo with choral singing, such as Goronørgo ("Freeway"), wrirren when he first moved to rhe LosAngeles ææ. Gugur-gunangand Vafura are wonderful examples of his sense of nvo-parr choral harmony, ateal innovation in Javanese music.
2. Mloyowidodo, S. ed,. Gending-GendingJøwø Gø1a SuraÞørta [Classical Pieces in Surakart¿ Style]. Surakarta:Akademi Seni lG¡awitan Indonesia, Departemen P da¡r K di Surakarta, 1976. Volume I: Slendro; Volume II: Pelog.There is also a third volume of slendro and pelog piece, not referred to in this introducrion. Ed.
xii The Vocal Norarion of KRT. \Øasitodiningrat
Pak Cokro has made it clear that this is notation for teaching purpos€s only, and may evencontain mistakes that he would correct in his lessons and classes. The researcher pafticularly should becareful noË to infer too much f¡om this notation. Each choice of cengkok reflecrs only one of manypossibilities. Pak Cokro may sometimes be illustrating a particular sryle or technique. He may beillustrating parnijen (special cengkok) ot gail.urn (required or characerisric cengkok). He may be showingrJre relationship berween the pesindhen parr and that of the rebab and gender.
There is also the problem of properþ interpreting whar Pak Cokro has acrually written. Theprimary problem is that it is difficult to disdnguish basic melodic patterns from ornamental details orknowwhere nuances of dynamic and accent should occr.rr. These are elemenrs of this musical idiom thatneed to be understood.
If this material were sung based on \Testern notational practices, the result would invariably beincorrect. The trained student, however, would not ettempt to read the notation note for note, but wouldlook only for general indications: where the vocal parr is placed, wherher the melody was high or low,whether there was e plesedzn [a musical procedure where a cadential melodic rone slurs ro anorher tone],whether a special melody or text was to be used, etc. All of rhese decisions might be madeinstantaneously. Never would the nores be literally'read.o
Author! Author!It is obvious that some pieces in the collection are Pak Cokro's own creations. Some were
composed before he came to rhe U.S., others were written here. Bur when he was asked to indicate whichpieces were his own, he declined to do so. Since dre concepr of authorship and the sysrem of copyright inthe SZest is fundamental, one may wonder why he prefers his contributions to remain enonymous,especially since he is recognized for bringing so meny improvements and innovations to maditionalgamelan pracrice.
In the courts of Java, there was no concepr of copyrighr in raditional gamelan music. Piecescomposed by court musicians were atffibuted to rhe lord of the menor, that is, the king or prince in whosecourt one was employed. Someone from such a bacþround might not anach much sþnificance roauthorship. It may even be considered negative to claim individual credit for a piece. Pak Cok¡o madethe following comments: "Ifpeople know that you have composed a certain piece, they may becomeoverþ critical. Classical pieces have changed a lot over time-many anonymous musicians haveconttibuted small but important changes to pieces in the classical repertoire. Garapan does change overtime.' He feels very uncomfortable drawing etenrion to himself.3
Pak Cokro has written his name on many of the pages in this collecdon. He is nor claimingauthorship-most of the pieces to which his name is attached are classical ones. His name even appeírrs onSwara Saling, a modern composition by Ki Nartosabdho.
'We know útet Goromøgo and Puspalalin were
written in Americ¿ by Pak Cokro. It is possible to armibute the pieces Kuwi Apa Kuai or Sopir Becahrchim beceuse of recordings and other documentadon. But noration alone is nor convenrionally used as proofof authorship. He may have signed his name to indicate rhar rhis norarion is his version or perhaps ro raketesponsibiliry rarher than credit for the particular rendition of the piece.
Poetic TextsThis collection contains examples of many vocel music forms, using many rypes of rexrs. A
number of traditional pieces, such as Puspawøm4 ,þah-dyahan Umbuldnnga. and I(aloran,have specialtexts. Modern pieces tlrat comment on topical subjects also have their own rexrs, such as Sopir Bec¿þ, KtwiApa Kuul alrrd Goromøtgo.
3..-Since this essay was written, Pak Colao identified his own composidons in this collection. It is unclea¡ whetherthis was due to a change in philosophy or a change in the inærviewËr. Ed.
Inroduction xiii
For a very large portion of the classical gamelan repenoire, however, the use of texts is far moreflexible. Texts, while having meaning (i.e. they are nor nonsense syllables or random collections ofwords), in general are not relevant or connected to a particular gamelan composition. Instead, tocts arereused from one composition to enother, and there are cerrain rules or guidelina for their use. Theseguidelines are concerned primarily with the rype of text to be used. For example, when the gerong sings, atext in the appropriate poetic fotm must be chosen. The most frequently used forms ue Kin¿nthi andSalisir. Pak Cokro has been deliberate in including a number of different examples of Kìnanthi ¿nd Salisirtexts, es well as texts for other poetic forms, including Jurudemungand r4smøradana
Poetic forms are usually defined in terms of (a) number of lines per verse þ) number of syllablesper line (c) ending vowel sound of each line. In many cases, the combination of compositional süucture(ketawang, ladrang, gendhing kethuk 2kercp, etc.) and ìranøfrnstntmenal relationships in time anddensiry] affect which poetic forms might be used. For example, a ladrang played in irama dados [a
Particular level of time relationships, also called irama II] is ideal for the Salisir form, which consists of4 lines of 8 syllables each. One line is sung per kenong phrase. Iãnanthi texts, v¡ith 6 lines of 8 syllableseach, fit nicely into the last one and a half kenong phrases of ingah [second sectoin of a gendhing] formwhen played in iram¿ ciblan fa time level which often include ciblon drumming, dso called irama III orirama wilet]. Some compositions such as Ladrøng Pangkur require use of the Pangkur poedc form,although occasionally one hears the gerong singe lGnanthi text concurrently with the pesindhen's singingof a, Panghul text. There ere even some compositions which appeer to be "up for grabs," such as themerong section of Gmdhing Gambirsa.wit which might be sung with Kinanthi, Jurademung, ,4sm¿ral¿nø orSinom.
For the solo pesindhen part, the two types of rext are most often used arc wøngraknand isen-isen(sometimes called abon-abon). Vançalan are didactic riddles consisting of 2lines of rwelve syllableseach. Hundreds exist, and Pak Colco ptovides numerous examples. Isen-isen or abon-abon ere texß forthe shorter melodies which the pesindhen sings between wangsalan melodies. Their purpose is to fill in or"spice up" the pesindhen part. Besides wançalan and isen-isen, other types of texts are also used, such asrajahan,which have the feeling of isen-isen but consist of more words and are didactic in nature. Thepesindhen must also know and use the same texts as the gerong.
The spelling of the texts can be confusing. This collection includes boúr the new modernIndonesian orthography and the older one from Dutch colonial dmes. The clue ro which spelling is beingused in the use of the letters nc" ot uy",which were not present in the old spelling. The following tableshows the changes.
new spelling sounds like:c cherryj jo-p
y yak
old spelling
tjd jj
A lesser problem concerns the Javanese vor,vel "a" when it is found at oÍ near the end of words (theprecise rule and explanation of this sound cen be found in Elinor Horne's Jauanese-English Dictionary,YaleUniversiry Præs, L974). In the older spelling, a small 'o' was placed over the "a.' This is pronounced"aw" (es in the word jaw). In modetn spelling, a single "o" replaces the "a' and "o" combination. Forexample 'rema" in old spelling is "romo" in the new spelling; the word is prounouced "raw-maw.'Aproblem exists in that there are words that are normally spelled with the letter "o.' These words are notpronounced using the "alv" sound but with en *o" sound. This problem is resolved only through knowingthe language.
[-fhere is also an older style of symbols for kenong and kempul in some pieces in this collecdon.When Pak Colco fust came to the U.S., he used a pointed chevron or caret above a note to indicate
xIv The Vocal Notation of KR.T. 'Wasirodiningrat
kenong, and a down-tutned curve to indicate kempul. (See page Ladrang A1ruft-alun on page l9l for anexample of the old symbols.) Later he switched to the currenr sysrem, in which rhe down-turned curyeindicates kenong and an upturned curve indicates rhe kempul. Ed.]
The Gerong NotationVhile the pesindhen notation presents numerous problems related to the peculiarities of rhe
female vocal part's idiom, the notation for the gerong parr is more straighrforward. A srudenr of thegerongan can easily use this materid, pardy because the gerongan rhphm is more fixed. The parr is sungin measured time rather than the freer rhphm of the pesindhen part. Also, the use of melodic variation isrestricted because the gerong ideally is sung by three or more men.
Melodic variation occurs, of course, but on a grosser level than the pesindhen parr. Each femalevocalist will sing different variations of the basic cengkok for repetirions of the gong cycles, whereasrhemale singers generally sing the same melodies eech dme. Even ornemenrs and embellishments mightbecome stylized by male singers who perform together frequenrly resulting in a a group "sryle" orconsciousness.
But even in the gerong part, the same sort of precautions prevail as in interpredng the pesindhennotation. For instance, there may be vocal ornaments and embellishments that are not notated. In the firstgerong line in Ladrang Srt I{aton,
Aìtf
. â . å,Þ, -
.f
-
" " -
o:f -ó
rc.6o'
é -
, 6 i å 6
æn¿_.4Gt8a.-
ð,A&cn
the vocal ornamenß could be written:
/ã., é ¡ ã ¿ ' ' ð6e.- v?îu.n
Sometimes, what may seem to be at one level of melodic structure may actually be at another. A typicalexample is from rhe rhird gerong line in Gendhing Gambirsaait.
t\/
I
funThe rhyrhm of the fourth syllable appears to be
4l'
?o /.: :" :1 +ii .:-lr ,t7 ,?i '!s z
a,e?f .h?l 4,d - Z¿ * ?fan l* * luy -
{ u ialthough it is acrually closer ro
ut!and probably ought to be notated to show only the principal melodic rones as follows:
. î r ¿ - 2 ,
Inuoduction xv
Even at the grossest level, the gerong notation cannor be taken at facevalue. Rhythmic values arenot always rneant exacdy as written. The previously discussed phrase from Sri l{atoncotildhave beennotated:
f u -.5 -' '€. G t6t.f 5 - r ' -¿ .e ¡ A
-:-
.n6 3
In fact, this is what would be taught in lessons. The discrepancy is not one of content but merelyofnotational expediency or convenrion (or perhaps lack ofconvention).
Nso, aloh'alole and senggakan [incidentd vocalizations and melodic inrerjections] are not alv¡eysindicated. For instance, in the notation for the popular piece l{etawang Puspauama., the male vocalizationsare not notated. Since Puspawa.rna. is the sþature opening piece of Pak Cokro's prince, the Paku Alam,students would certainly be mught these vocalizarions in lessons.
In this collection, the gerong variations that do occur should not necessarily be construed to beYoryanese versus Solonese, nor Paku r{laman versus Solonese style. In Java, there are many minorvariations among gamelan groups within the same court or regional sryle. Variations are generally theinterpretation of the leader of the group. The choice of variation often defaults to the best singer in theensemble. In a sense, these variatiorìs are a process of composition within the idiom of the music.Therefore, variations found in this collection neither validate authenriciry of style nor make Pak Cokro'smelodies more aurhoritative.
For example, in tåe gerong for Sri l(aton in this collecdon, on the third line we find a melismaon the third syllable that probably would not be heard in Solo. Pak Cokro allowed that even in Yogya itwould be rarely if ever be done. He wrote it that way because when he first taught this piece in ,{merica,the gamelan tuning was so low that he wanted ro "spice up' the phrase!
A Closer Look at Gambfus¿witSince it is expected that this collection will be of special inrerest to students of the female vocal
part, let's examine in detail one of the most popular pieces in Yogyakana and Solo. This piece will bearralyzed in order to show the fundamental procedures followed by the female singer in performing herpart, including use of text, melodic variarions, and embellishments.
The piece to be examined is Gendlting Garnbircøwit, inslendro senga. Garnbircøwit is in the formcalled gendhing kethuk 2 kerep. That is, it is comprised of four kenong phrases to the gong cycle, eachkenong phrase made up of rwo kethuk phrases of two four-bear gatra each. The schema for this is:
. : . 0
Each be¿r is represente dby a . ; rhe tarks the kerhuk. Kenong are marked Uy ?nd the gong by QPieces in this form, rwice as long as the ladrang, are often the most commonly played pieces forhlcnengan [a program of music alone, not as an eccompaniment to dance or thearer]. In order to keep ourplace in dre following discussion, we will refer to each gatra and kenongan by number. For instance thefifth beat on the third line will be referted to as the "second gama of rhe rhird kenongan".
There are several points of interest which bear directþ on the success of the beginning pesindhenstudent. These are timing and phrasing, cengkok and ornamenration, variation of cengkok, and garapan.Pak Cokro's notation includes lessons in all of these, but the notation can not be read literally. The
xvi The Vocal Norarion of KRT. \Øasitodiningrat
pesindhen Part has a definite rh¡hm but it is not strictly merered. It is in a free rhythm with a verydefinite sense ofweak and smong pulses, and of very minute levels of slovring down and speeding up. Therhythm of the pesindhen pan is very difficuh ro norere preciseþ.
The first four lines of pesindhen notation in Gømbirsdwit as notated by Pak Cokro, if interpretedstricdy in metered wesrern notarion might look like this:
A2 r
. . .9 2 r7 . , I-t /
haf n øa'
Lgr
6 s, i . ó . . ; .Á.or- da
6 f
/\a,
, sTr dT.{
E J
¡ ?
ft,¿-ri,s
- /
; à
&.Ås
73
i é . 1 -i à.i G.j= î
/
,1 . ' ,9a-
.¡.t.t
) r r
I.! lLt
6f
z7J . ¿
,7d
t r ¿tuH_te u_rThis is not at all what should be sung. Yet, to tccurutely notate uhese lines using a steady reference
pulse (after all, the gamelan itself is planng in fairly regular meter) would be painstakingly difficult andwould result in a finely detailed but relativeþ useless documenr. One way ro rnore clearly show timing
3
å ¡ .+ ê ê
Hary'anîtyt voy tnnol,.ed. æ
1 rf ur r {gjIrr
^ , ì r =t r ófó - ¡ó -.1. .L
?ris - 4a'¡29 *- Åor.t//
Introduction xvii
might be to use horizontal spacing to indicate relative durarion. But this would only be slighdy befterbecause another problem in interpreting pesindhen noþtion is that the difference berween vocal ornamencsand the basic cengkok cannot be discerned. The use of horizontal spacing still does not give a clear senseof the underlying pulse of the pesindhen part. The addidon of various symbols to indicate vocalornaments might make it easier to focus on essendal the melodic movements of the cengkok.
Af
I
d^t 2
R¿-ñs
t
lo
f
zr¿s
23I
Ê ¿ .
-- l
, l L
?. . . 3 e r ? , ,æ
thdf n
g -e-.L
6 r
7J . ¿ærra
l -
6,,i.;6,/tor.
¿ - | -Jl65-
.r z- /'
o e J. = :
, d î i . ? 1 , s ã ' c . 1 . - 4. )
wÐnî Qtndfr.la æ
àre
6 r| â - l
, t I .ryatdnncnT
¿
.f
3.t3z /
' i , l -,(o;r. sø
^ ? .¿ \ , * Þ f -
-
-i J.4 -6*l"E s .r+'enTr$z-
.r , ¿F¿ .E ",
Ð,{s - sig, *
î .6Í_f*65. ,3
. é ¡ ., - _ A 4
lJltimately, the best notation is a recording. P"k Cok¡o ¡eminds us that his notation is mereþ ateaching tool and is not meant to be used withour a re¿cher.
xviii The Vocal Notarion of K.R.T.'Wasirodiningrar
Once one has begun to understand the idiom of the pesindhen parr, however, his notation becomeshelpful in showing how variations of cengkok are used and how ga.rrpalworks. A simple example ofvariation is illusrated by comparing two of rhe cengkok going to rhe gong 5. In rhe first gong cycle ofGambirsauit (page 53), he gives us the rwelve syllable:
@, t . ç î '
9' -f 3 7 ¡
- - :I ¿. ?. ' . .2 ?-. I
Ð*srþ l,o,so4om3fu
,/ o
t6 t - 7ó e ,7 ,ê ,:R-
Ao-iu.ncr¡a l-zz-- - J J
late¡ on page 56, he gives us an eight syllable version of the same cengkok:?. *- , , t.Í', :1 ,. e ,,.ç{J9?fi':1,4*ã"y".( oogS,ì - J*V
,4,n example of more complex variation is found on page 54, when the pesindhen sings to pitch Iat the end of the second kenong and in the middle of the fourrh kenong.
- . . F . :
. j ] JE ,6 .6 t . -5 : ? ,? . f , , r . fez r ,4ery{c>y Ådlë-ty*o Áa.trrry. t.rn
i , à.å z-i ¡f ic 7 ta. - t-Qt,(a. run, 7na9,.-¡^¿ *-
Both cengkok sart the same way, but the first dips down to pitch 5 while the secondimmediately takes a turn to high 3. Both rest briefly on high I in the middle of the phrase (fourth syllableof an eight syllable text) before proceeding. Then, both patterns resume similarly but each finds adifferent way to end up on pitch 1, the desired goal.
M*y other examples of melodic variation abound throughout this collecdon and form afascinating study, but it is not neccessarily Pak Cokro's intention to show offhis skill at making suchvariations. He is simply expressing the compositions as idiomatically as possible and according to hissense ofesthetics. For instance, the cengkok going to the first kenong on page 54 also ends on pitch 1. Itstatts differently on low pitch 5, but is in fact, a variation like the rwo just discussed.
D¡ruúomæryt,í ,yë{a -
It worla im way to high 1 by mid-phrase (like the other nvo) and continues its way to pitch Iexacdy like the second cengkok. Esthetically, starting on pitch 5 is more pleasing because the gerongmelody has just begun and is on a relarively low pitch of 2,
- ó= &jF r, , e , - ¡ . é 1 ,
Q n
2 2o o r , 2 ,
1 ) ' t etlrØda -
:,442 2 ,- )t)tt¿gø
/\/J2
- 5
D¡rudonærgí ,y,ítø- î -
Introducdon xix
while the other n¡¡o cengkok coexist wi*r gerong melodies which have already reached high 1 by the dmethe pesindhen melody begins.
1
# ot 2,.
r t - 4
7.z 3 !
f .3 .¿
c¿-aj-.r¿.,
1 1 3 e 1o
,: ,"" --r, , i . ¿i å -Ég .E.-E ,es ?, r
^?f .ru?l kd.- zi * .T?? ¿o' =
{uV _ (un
. i ? t Í : ' â ' ó ¡ , ' 5 1 , 1 ' f , r ' s r a ¡ ,Iety&,y áa.li-12e.n Áa.f.,rg. &"n
2 /
T
a,6-g'
,,¿r-
c l¿ L¡ 6; à ,¡E ,"ú f+ ,zs .rt
These are 3 variations of the same cengkok, each in irs esthetically appropriate context.
GarapanThe final (and most difiìcult to discuss) concern in using these notations in order to learn to sing
the pesindhen pa$ ß garapdn Garapan is a difücuh concepr to explain, bur we can ar leasr say dras ir isthat which gives character to a piece through the expression of cerrain key parts in the ensemble. Theseparts include the gender, rebab, gambang, bonang and the pesindhen. Knowing much if not all of thecorrect garapan for a pamicular piece comes from experience: from hearing other musicians express theirinteqpretations of the piece. Garapen can even change over the course of rime.
Garapan is "the way ofworking out" a composition. Vhile one could play arry piece in thegamelan repertoire formulaic¿lI¡ making nice variations on cengkok thar fir the balungan, it would notnecessarily be the correct garapan. Garapan does seem to follow some rules, but there are manyexceptions, and perhaps it is these very exceptions which give the pieces individual character. Typicalrules govern when to sing a high or a low cengkok, whether a special cengkok such as punt gelut or a.!ukuningis used, whether isen-isen is used, whether the minor sounding petogJike børang miring melodieswould be used, otwhethet plesedan þliding to another note afrer rhe end of the cengkok] is used.
Pak Col,no's notation represents to a large degree his interpretation of the garapan for thesepieces. One is cautioned that there are places where he may have excluded special garepen, perhaps becauseof teaching requirements or the ability level of the srudenn. On the other hand, because he has includedsomething does not mean that he excludes other interpretations.
xx The Vocal Notarion of KRT. 'Wasitodiningrat
In Garnbirsawit, for enample, there is a specid cengkok rhat only can be used in that piece. Itcomes after the gong in the merong section.
/a\¡ z ,
Y/
"-:u)ur
L
3 t ó? - . L - - - ¡ t ç 5 ç t 4 g ÇÌd h- té-t4 i¿-'l'-- il¿i
,^
3îJ
( " 6 4 6
Ganb¡rsuæ,t
6 t
m a -
zr
2 a ?
t - l L€ - ' _ _ _ . t
71uÌ?L
-r6r-¿ 5Uur
, 1 . . L !-¿¿7na- -
zn 4
t l
h¿L ' D o
z3L
There are several other possible ways to complete this cengkok:
Á3.3Je '
2-3)
s - 2 3 {J- J S- 3 L t tã - i - rL
¿ t |#ú1an e-r4¿¿/l em<n é-mc.n
?
?{ 3
T ' LÄtL- t,-
a
s- ¿5L 3 L / 4
ct¿ - ürK
z\2 _ t? z
ç !-:4
la" mqs
2
Inttoduction xxi
But in the notation in this collecdon on pege 56,PakCokro has used the much more rypical andless special regular cengkok ro gong 5, followed by an isen-isen ro the first garra:
Jo o
3f
; ! r , t z .
t^f )=./
5
ó
â t ê
-
¿7t9a( h/o>?av -/-
7 . 1 . t . t ó ¡ . ó.'ltr . l-:-,
.iflnçgune Á*línoo.(J J J J
a 'æJ4y.,. Êé, úÉ¿,
wolj a.- J*:r
. l X
lq mo.g,J -r,./a- -
g'
. . l ó dl-ra-:Jrrteg
He was probably ettempting to teach his new American students the basic structure of gendhingkethuk 2 kerep form in which an isen-isen phmse would frequently be used in the firct gatra after the gong.TØe know from lessons with him that Pak Coftro is well aware of the special cengkok that could be used.In fact, he made notation at a later date that included such phrases.
May this serve you well...In summary, this collection of Pak Cokro
'Wasitodiningrat's vocal notation is a valuable learning
tool both for the Javanese and non-Javanese student of classical Central Javanese court vocal music. Itcontains many of the uypical compositions that ere still popular today, and it benefits the student well tohave learned these pieces, as there are many opportunities to play them in and outside of Java-
For the trained student, this collection will probably not be sung verbatim, but rather will beused as a reference to check the garapan of individual compositions, e.g. the use of special melodic
Patterns, the possible places where isen-isen could be used, whether a melody should go high or loïv, etc.For the untrained student, the use of the material as a reference is equally important, but ir must beremembered that without an understanding and feeling for the idiom of pesindhenan end for gamelan ingeneral, this material can be misleading. Pak Cokro warns that this material is only a guideline and isreally a teaching tool. Thetefore we are cautioned that this material should be used with a teacherknowledgeable in pesindhenan.
'W'hatever use is made of this material, we have here an unprecedented collection representing a
broad cross secÈion of Central Javanese vocel music, created by the humble efforts of a great musicianthrough his love and concern for the musical growth of his students, and for his own culture's truús. Mayhis effots not be in vain.
xxii The Vocal Notarion of KRT. 'Wasitodiningrat
f - ,{" ¿+
{ ç
. 5 f ,
5 (ow, J1l--
..- -
H i l - ' L t " ' t 4 . t r ] s ,t \O ,nO r - - r
ó 5 r
î ¿ ;
L . 3 . î .-yo . nè ,s
î ¿
. á - J z /, - : . -6 ¡ . ó z . ¿ O , J . óX ) \t_ r¿ . eôr.o tur ¡\farrl2nQ sA-s -t J
. f , , 6 _ J ,d .sã(a-vl dr'- fi-
r . î a: - r
î : É * . . i r . 3 L " L é , r . . ¡ &YLwaAc2j vu(an {c¿r. >¡o- ¡7)ê
- . f ¿ f , g
: i z 6 .r-,7s_ l+
Ko nlty c. - rìyl .
a / ó â- . :
I ñ , r ! , 4 , , , & , t . é î ,I{¿./odo lry¿t Aa.ns Áo - {ro
J t
Çn^,à''"*q W"?^*h,rrç, 2' .v,,j^I A '
9y'or{o¿ X,¿il, Qt"l -oqol,o, (/rnJ^
{,.r*ul Ðy./ - oj,o/,or,
i
î 3
. f z r î ¿
*t .35 6Ða3rrs
+2 _ 2
l f , ¿+f , 2 . ?
J r ó a , / ó @L / ¿ â
f
J
j-..-.
, ó ; 67;
3
ê¿,{o
Q), 5 - 3 ¿ ,lro
Lt
s
.,.
é
f,
fd
. s . J ,
ro
Sr/-
. t - 6 î
to
f
z 3
'(e.¡ca{ {o P, or.rg,lti â
ç
Slendro Nem 3
, ) t
- / la.6o>^
a r 6 ó\ = . ' :. 5 ^ t 5 3 z - 3 î é
/ lo . f i>o *
- ? .
î 45 . f - i . i
y" Ç ',i'
i i . i . r ) , . 4 f , , J . 4 , é/ " t - - t
-
,çL f . n9e }ïc l¿ La-tzs . fi1 ê - fo
- ó ? z Jf l t 3 , é . ¡ s z ,
Ro rro - '..,o ,no
t ó t - r ó ì ?: v . ui î'i 14 ,&l'Y ?:/,.9¿ ?¿- ./-d//6,P,,3u t o . i7 i" eT¡' ̂ ,; j" f;y' l-*T
. , : i d * f , é , L L LJo - 77es ¿ -* u s a - f o - s o5 . ¿ f , J 2 . / ó @
6 6 ì ' = é . 4 e É - gPtur/yÇ; io - E- ¡"P"/ea/ {o tÕ,
T" {rc.nsilcän {o /"a*ry r/rori{,or,@l ' t ,
i l î 2 n a ^ \ , ,( - . 1 - . f - ó € J _ î - ?- r ó " - ó - . ? - 2 , y _ 7 - â
: å : i É zñ , , ñ ' n t . w i - ¿ ¿r/fr . r - î ¿ ât t v - ( , _\ { ¿ .ÁT-F, r
9, 4," -,"r, - dn
(,6
G)7
TheVocal Noration of K.R.T. \[asitodiningrar
/rool{ont a- 5 -
ó3 J
É-9Jm 4
2f
J {
.'
é
3
: i .Z J i i - -e ê ,é ,6 ,?onlogoãr¡"t;tÆ.
Z,. fg-¿ 2,- ¡ /
me.ry - ,ec
rÐ, \-/
.* ,9 ,s-Jt ,t -
Zë . tto
Jr , é Í i ^ . 6 3 . . J -â ¡
/Jcno{cincJ i o - P 4 *
- t - 3. -:-2 . 9 - ¡ Z - 6 ê . d - 3 . , J
- \ . t -
H¡a>z -î3.2rr? /{a.. (,o - ¡so -
- f , - Js 6 é_-rd,
"ù!-,| | --/n¡lcary Sa.r- {o
- é ( " ): - : \ - /
6 é . s , J U . - z é . 6 . 2 ¿ , ê îD - - , - - r - - - rJ lnaryan7.no
Jusva- / r ( . ì^o -
- f , _. lZ .rtTr
/e a â . t / ê
+l
- J - z- : :
- =--
n " J - _ a é 1 3 , - t . 3 , f 3 . L ¡( t ^ /5a.roz gïnq mongÁo rnanggo - ¿"
J J , , t J J
- J - - zL 3 - , U t - L r t ,
âol,n ZÇt,t
. J* ð
ItnJ sa. -
. 3.:
-t-<
ó ê- t . r¿ t .3 é. t . . é
Huh a,l¿tt hud.vas -I J
- ú
I L
9" to
-L{t
î 6 ¡ .ó/
J2
23
?J
7J
Slendro Nem
,lroo¿ton - . 4 :
3
z
î
3
,/- ó
:, : ='6 6 . 3 î - z é - . ó - ¿
9 ' ) t ' rfan c mune Se>>&,Á Ho - w(,¿ .
J
-Þ
@t . é s
L--./(,o
.î3
z
. ' & , 6 r - ¡ , , . ]n ' ç -t-cþ . Zo v77o - që -
