2016 2nd International Conference on Science in Information Technology (ICSITech) Virtual Player of Melodic Abstraction Instruments for Automatic Gamelan Orchestra Khafiizh Hastuti, A. Zainul Fanani, Arry Maulana Syarif Faculty of Computer Science Dian Nuswantoro University Semarang, Indonesia [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract—This research aims to bring a gamelan orchestra, never learn gamelan music, and 76.7% of them cannot play which is a Javanese cultural heritage, to the hands of the user by gamelan instruments. Gamelan preservation strategy is a using mobile technology. The virtual player in this system is problem to solve. designed to lead users in playing or learning gamelan instruments. The various skill level of user is hardly considered The use of computer technology can be an alternative to be accommodated. A system which is able to read notation strategy to solve the problem mentioned above. Smule is an sequences automatically is needed to develop a virtual player in example of the use of computer technology for music that this research. This allows the system playing every inputted succeed in bringing the music instruments into computer gamelan song notations with various tempos. Type of gamelan application. Reference [4] mention that the Smule Ocarina is song notations structure explored in this research is melodic one of the applications that represents a wind instrument abstraction notations called balungan. The melodic abstraction which is fully leveraging its wide array technologies, such as notations of gamelan song are recorded into array data for the microphone input, multitouch, accelerometer, real-time sound system reading them and giving outputs of sound, visualization, synthesis, and high performance graphic. Various approaches and animation of the melodic abstraction instruments. The user are used in exploring the interaction in music application. acceptance test which involves gamelan music experts is Reference [5] proposed the use of the magnetic field sensor conducted to measure the accuracy of the system’s ability in embedded in mobile devices to serve musical performance playing the instruments, such as reading the notations, that lets the user utilize the surrounding 3D space to bring a synchronizing the sound and animation, and tempo of the play. wide-spectrum of unique. A gestural interface which involves The accuracy is evaluated based on features of orchestra and a single instrument. The result shows that the accuracy for hand movement, virtual object processing, and parameterized orchestra feature reaches to 71.1%, and for a single instrument sound synthesis is used by [6] to reduce the motor and feature, the accuracy reaches to 84.4%. Another evaluation is to cognitive load for the sound designer. A virtual instrument measure the clarity which represents the system’s ability in system has been designed using an optical multi-touch visualizing the animation, sound, navigation, learning, tabletop serves as the input device for multiple users and an interactivity. The result of clarity evaluation is 78.1%. algorithmic pipeline interprets user's interactions [7]. The system presents a xylophone and a set of drums of various Keywords—gamelan; virtual music player; automatic notations sizes and shapes, and support up to six users in interacting reading with it simultaneously. As the other music applications built using a computer I. INTRODUCTION technology and mobile technology to make an access for the This research aims to give a contribution of preservation of instruments easier, the use of these technologies are also need Javanese cultural heritage called gamelan music using for gamelan music. There are applications containing gamelan computer technology. Gamelan is a traditional music instruments that have been released in the mobile application ensemble from the land of Java. A modern gamelan orchestra markets, such as app store and play store. The gamelan can have 80 instruments, 25 players, and some singers [1]. As instrument applications still have limited features, especially a music orchestra, gamelan has obstacles that are typically learning feature, playing orchestra feature, database of faced by others kind of music orchestras. Music orchestra is notations of gamelan song. something big that need expensive cost, a large room, expert The basic idea of the development of a virtual gamelan players, and one may takes many years or even decade to orchestra player is bringing the orchestra to the hands of the mastering instruments of the orchestra [2]. user instead of waiting for them taking steps to reach the Gamelan instruments are something rare to play for young instruments. In this research, a system is designed to support people nowadays. A research conducted by [3] resulted data an interaction with user in playing gamelan orchestra using that 66.7% of senior high school students in Indonesia are computer technology, such as giving lessons for mastering 978-1-5090-1721-8/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE 30 2016 2nd International Conference on Science in Information Technology (ICSITech) gamelan instruments, helping user in playing gamelan songs, C. Function of Gamelan Instruments supporting unlimited database of notations of gamelan songs. Gamelan instruments have their function in the ensemble The system designed in this research called virtual gamelan classified into time, melody and structure [11]. Kendang, a orchestra player, is not only presents virtual instruments, two headed asymmetrical drum, is the instrument which moreover it can represent a gamelan player which can play the organizes the time in the playing with a concept concerning gamelan instruments. The skill of user in handling a mobile the interaction of tempo (fast, medium, slow). The musical device, including learning the interactivity instruments and structure in gamelan composition is controlled by type of gong songs in the virtual gamelan orchestra player, is hardly instruments; e.g. gong, kenong, kempul, and kethuk. The considered to be accommodated. The virtual gamelan function of melody is divided into three categories, the first is orchestra player should be able to set its play at various level elaborate melodies played by rebab, gender, gambang, and skill of user. celempung, the second is melodic abstraction played by The mobile technology is considered as the platform for slenthem, demung, saron, peking, and the third is melodic running the virtual gamelan orchestra player application. This mediators which offer guidance to the instrument in groups of technology growth rapidly, and now it reaches to 44 billion elaborate melodies and melodic abstraction. This research is applications downloaded around the world in 2016 [8]. This limited in developing virtual player of melodic abstraction makes mobile application become suitable and easier as a instruments; therefore the following discussion is focused on platform in delivering the virtual gamelan orchestra player to this scope. the users. D. Melodic Abstraction Instruments Developing a gamelan orchestra in a mobile application needs a smart system which can use gamelan instruments to There is a melodic line considered as a melodic skeleton play gamelan songs automatically. In order to serve for called balungan [10]. Balungan is the abstraction of the unlimited gamelan songs and various tempos of play, the melody of gamelan song (gending). Basically, there are two virtual gamelan orchestra player developed in this research is kinds of balungan, which are balungan mlaku and balungan designed to be able to read the gamelan song’s notations nibani. The others variants of balungan melody are balungan automatically, or able to read a gamelan sheet music. gantung, balungan rangkep, balungan ngrancak, etc. Slenthem, demung, saron, and peking are the instruments for playing balungan [10][11]. Fig. 2 shows the illustration of II. GAMELAN MUSIC balungan as an abstraction of a melody which its notations are displayed inside bounding boxes. Fig. 3 shows examples of A. Gamelan Instruments notations arrangement for balungan mlaku and balungan Gamelan instruments are mostly made of bronze that is a nibani. mix of cooper and tin with ratio 3:10 [9]. These instruments include of gong, gender, bonang barung, bonang penerus, demung, saron barung, peking, kenong, kethuk, slenthem. Other types of instruments in gamelan are a wooden xylophone called gambang, a set of two headed drums called kendang, two-stringed bowed instrument called rebab, a plucked zither-type instrument called celempung or siter, and a bamboo flute caled suling [10]. Fig. 1 shows some of gamelan instruments. Fig. 1. Some of gamelan instruments: kenong (left), kempul (right) B. Tuning and Tuning Adjustment Systems Gamelan are divided into two tuning systems called laras, Fig. 2. Examples of balungan as melodic abstraction (sumarsam) which are laras slendro and laras pelog. Laras slendro consists of 5 tones that are 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Laras pelog consists of 7 tones that are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. A complete gamelan set is actually a double set, that is a slendro gamelan and a pelog gamelan, although they are never played simultaneously [10]. Each laras has tuning adjustment systems called pathet. Laras slendro consists of pathet nem, pathet sanga and pathet manyura. Laras pelog consists of pathet lima, pathet nem and pathet barang. Fig. 3. Examples of balungan mlaku and balungan nibani (sumarsam) 31 2016 2nd International Conference on Science in Information Technology (ICSITech)