Siter: The Javanese Plucked Zither of Gamelan Music
Siter: the small plucked zither that adds detail to gamelan
The siter is a small plucked zither with steel-wire strings, used in Javanese gamelan to add a light, ringing layer of melodic decoration to the music. It is much smaller than its larger relative, the celempung, and far quieter than the bronze instruments around it, so a listener has to know where to focus to pick it out. Its name comes from the Dutch word citer, the same word as the English zither. Its clear attack and quick, busy patterns give the ensemble a fine detail that would otherwise be lost in the dense texture. Here is what a siter is, how it is built and played, what it does in the ensemble, and how a visitor can learn to recognise it in a live performance.
The build of a siter and its wire strings
A siter is built around a hollow wooden box that acts as a resonator, with strings stretched across it. The strings are steel wire, chosen because they give a bright, carrying sound, and they are arranged in pairs, with a set of strings on each side of the box. The instrument is small and is set low in front of a seated player, who usually sits cross-legged on the floor in the Javanese manner.
The double-sided build is the siter’s cleverest feature. The strings on one side are tuned to pelog and the strings on the other side to slendro, the two tuning systems of Javanese gamelan. A player can therefore turn the instrument round and play in whichever system the piece requires, instead of needing two separate instruments as the bronze sections of a full gamelan do.
The steel strings give the siter its bright, sharp tone. When a string is plucked, the sound begins with a clear attack and then rings on until it is stopped, which is why damping is so important to the playing technique. The tension and pitch of each string have to be checked regularly to keep the instrument in tune with the rest of the set.
How the siter is played with the thumbnails
The siter is plucked with the thumbnails of both hands rather than with separate picks. A player without long enough nails can use a substitute nail, but the thumbnail is the standard tool. While one thumb plucks, the other fingers of the same hand rest near the strings and stop the note that has just sounded, so that each new note rings cleanly without blurring into the last. The fingers of both hands share this damping work, the right hand working from below the strings and the left from above.
A good siter player makes every stroke count. The plucking must be even, the notes must fit the underlying melody, and the decorative figures must not clash with the rest of the ensemble. Because the strings would otherwise keep ringing, the player is constantly deciding how long each note should last and then silencing it at the right moment. This combination of plucking and damping gives the siter its precise and articulate voice, and the two hands can also alternate in interlocking patterns.
The siter’s role in the ensemble
In a Javanese gamelan, the core melody, the balungan, is carried by the slenthem, the demung and the saron. Around it, a group of softer instruments elaborates on that melody: the rebab, the gender, the gambang, the suling and the plucked zithers. The siter belongs to this elaborating group. It plays cengkok, melodic patterns built on the balungan, and it moves quickly, at the same rapid pace as the gambang.
Its job is to decorate rather than to lead. The siter fills the spaces in the texture with running figures that echo and anticipate the main line, so it often works by adding movement rather than by carrying the tune. Listeners who follow it closely will find that the ensemble has more detail and interplay than they first realised.
The siter’s presence is most noticeable in quiet passages, when the loud bronze instruments are restrained and the softer elaborating instruments come forward. In these moments, the siter’s plucked notes stand out and give the music a sense of movement that keeps the listener engaged.
Siter, siter penerus and the celempung
The plucked zithers of the gamelan come in more than one size. The celempung is the largest, about three feet long, standing on four legs and tuned an octave below the siter. The siter barung is larger and lower in pitch than the siter penerus, which is smaller and higher. In everyday speech the smaller instrument is often simply called the siter.
The siter penerus sounds about an octave higher than the larger siter, so in an ensemble that uses both, the two sizes cover different registers of the same elaborating line. Hearing the sizes side by side is a good way to understand how much range a simple box of wires can cover.
Siteran: an ensemble built around zithers
The siter also has an ensemble of its own. Gamelan siteran is a small group in which the zithers are the characteristic instruments, with at least two kinds of siter playing together, usually a larger instrument such as the siter barung or celempung and a smaller siter penerus.
The siter is also part of many larger gamelan ensembles, including the gamelan traditions of Central Java and the gamelan of Yogyakarta and Solo. Visitors who attend a performance will hear it best from seats close enough to see the player’s hands and to hear the thumbnails striking the strings. Watching the siter in action helps a listener understand how the small instrument supports the whole piece.
Tuning the siter to slendro and pelog
Tuning a siter is a delicate task, because the instrument must match the other instruments in its set. Gamelan music uses two tuning systems. Slendro has five notes to the octave with steps of nearly equal size, while pelog has seven notes with a mix of wide and narrow steps. On the siter, one side carries each system, so the tuner works on both sides and checks each against the matching bronze instruments.
There is no single fixed standard for gamelan tuning, and one set can differ slightly from another. That means a siter has to be tuned to the particular gamelan it plays with, not to an abstract scale. Because the strings are thin steel wire, small changes in tension alter the pitch noticeably, so players check the tuning often.
Learning the siter and passing on the skill
Learning the siter is a long process. A student first learns to pluck cleanly with the thumbnails and to damp each string at the right moment. Then comes the practice of moving between strings at speed while keeping the rhythm steady. Only after these basic skills are secure does the student begin to learn the cengkok, the melodic patterns that make a siter part sound right in the ensemble.
Slow, careful practice at the start pays off. A player who rushes into fast figures tends to develop an uneven stroke, which is hard to correct later. Patience in the early years matters, because the mature style depends on control as well as speed.
Questions people ask about the siter
How is a siter different from a celempung?
The siter is smaller and higher in pitch. The celempung is about three feet long, stands on four legs and is tuned an octave below the siter. Both are plucked with the thumbnails and both play elaborating patterns based on the core melody.
Why does a siter have strings on both sides?
One side is tuned to slendro and the other to pelog, so a single instrument can play in either of the two gamelan tuning systems.
Can a visitor try the siter?
Some cultural centres and music schools let visitors try a few notes after a workshop or performance. Ask first, and follow the teacher’s instructions, because the strings are delicate and careless playing can disturb the tuning.
What makes the siter’s sound distinctive?
Its steel strings and small box give it a bright, sharp voice, and its quick running patterns add detail and movement to the texture without dominating the ensemble.
Caring for a siter in a damp climate
The siter needs careful handling in the humid conditions of Java. Steel strings can rust, and the wooden box can absorb moisture. The instrument should be stored in a dry, sheltered place, and the strings wiped after use. Regular tuning keeps it in step with the rest of the set.
Listening for the siter in Central Java
To hear the siter, sit close to the ensemble and listen for the bright, plucked notes that come through in quiet passages. Follow the main melody first, then search for the siter’s quicker figures around it. Once you can pick it out, the whole texture of the gamelan opens up.
A gamelan performance in Central Java is a good opportunity to listen for the siter, and the palaces where gamelan has long been played are described under court culture of Yogyakarta. The siter is a small instrument, but it gives the gamelan much of its finesse, and it rewards a visitor who listens with care.
Related guides: campursari music, celempung, sinden javanese singer, rebab, ledhek, Central Java Gamelan: Instruments, Tuning and Music.