Pelog
Pelog is a tuning system used in Indonesian gamelan music. It provides an octave-repeating heptatonic scale, although octaves are usually stretched to compensate for the inharmonicity of the instruments.
In Javanese gamelan, the tones of Pelog are numbered 1 through 7 (traditionally associated with body parts: 1 = head, 2 = neck, 3 = chest, 4 = groin, 5 = knees, 6 = feet, 7 = hands). The exact tuning varies considerably between gamelan, but on most modern Javanese sets one would encounter in North America the pairs 1-5, 2-6, and 3-7 are roughly fifths.
Traditionally, there are three pathet, or modes, of Pelog. Pelog nem (or pathet nem) uses the tones 1 2 3 5 6 with an emphasis on either 6-2 or 5-1 depending on the piece (technically, depending whether the piece is emulating Slendro manyuro or Slendro songo). Pelog barang uses 2 3 5 6 7, usually emphasizing 6+2 or 3+7. Pelog lima is a sort of "odds and ends" for uses of the 1 2 3 5 6 scale that don't really fit into anywhere else. Definitions are somewhat fuzzy and may vary by gamelan master. The 4 tone is not often encountered, and some elaborating instruments lack the tone entirely.
Pelog is well-approximated by the seven note "antidiatonic" (2L 5s) scale of 9edo. However, it is not exactly 9edo, since in practice Pelog's exact intervals are slightly unequal throughout the scale, while 9edo supposes exactly two interval sizes.
Music
- See also: Category:Pelog tracks