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Saron
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Name: Saron

Alternate Name(s): Slenthem, Demung, Saron Barung,Saron Panerus, Peking.

Geographic Region: Southeast Asia

Country of origin: Indonesia

Subregion: Java

Climatic type: Tropical

Time period: Latter part of the 1st millennium CE or the early part of the 2nd.

Classification: Idiophone

Definition: Metallophones with six or seven bronze keys placed on a wooden frame.

Material:

  • Wood
  • Bronze

SvH No.: 111.2

Ensembles:

  • Gamelan

Related Instruments:

  • Suling
  • Gender
  • Rebab
  • Kendhang

Author: Sumarsam
           

Related Web Sites:

  • American Gamelan Institute (AGI)

printer friendly version of this page Physical description | History | Role in the gamelan ensemble | References | Notes

Physical description

The saron is a metallophone with six or seven keys that rest on a wooden trough, which also serves as resonator. Three instruments belong to the saron family that employ different sizes and pitch registers: the largest size with the lowest register is called demung; the medium size with a medium octave range, saron barung; and the smallest size and highest register, saron panerus or peking. A full ensemble may have two demung, four saron, and two peking. Another instrument that musically falls in the saron family is slenthem, but physically it is built similar to the gender (i.e. suspended by a cord over tube resonators).

History

In the early history of gamelan, a single saron may have been part of a small ensemble. As the gamelan developed into an expansive ensemble, different sizes of saron were added. This development brought about the emergence of new styles of musical practice and repertoire: i.e., the creation of loud pieces in which bonang and saron are featured and performance styles involving the interplay between soft- and loud-playing styles.

Role in the gamelan ensemble

For the most part (with the exception of peking), saron instruments play the melodic skeleton (balungan) of a gendhing within the limitation of their melodic ranges. There are other playing styles through which the saron create interlocking patterns. Unlike the other saron, the peking?s melody anticipates and doubles or quadruples the melody of the melodic skeleton (balungan). In some cases, it paraphrases the balungan.

References

See "gamelan."

Notes

Written with editorial assistance from Jennifer Caputo.

Last Modified: 05-May-2005

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