Vol. 6, No. 1, January 2025
E-ISSN: 2723 - 6692
P-ISSN: 2723 - 6595
http://jiss.publikasiindonesia.id/
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Sains, Vol. 6, No. 1, January 2025 24
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Works; Classical Guitar;
Students; Ensembles
The increasing challenge faced by guitar major students in
mastering classical guitar techniques highlights the need for
innovative approaches in music education. Many students
transitioning from acoustic or electric guitars struggle with
fundamental classical guitar techniques such as posture, hand
positioning, and specific playing techniques like tirando and
pizzicato. This research aims to address these challenges by
developing a structured approach to creating classical guitar
ensemble works tailored for the Jakarta Enam Senar
extracurricular group. The importance of this research lies in its
potential to enhance the compositional and performance skills of
students, fostering their ability to contribute to ensemble
repertoires and strengthening their understanding of classical
guitar techniques. The study employs a qualitative research
method with a case study approach, complemented by Practice
Led Research to bridge theoretical and practical knowledge.
Techniques such as composition workshops, expert-led
discussions, and iterative practice sessions were utilized to refine
the students' skills. The findings demonstrate significant
improvements in the students' ability to create and perform
classical guitar ensemble works. The research concludes that
structured creative practices and theoretical grounding are
essential for overcoming technical challenges and inspiring
innovation in music education. These results contribute to the
development of effective pedagogical strategies for classical
guitar education and provide a model for integrating creative
practices into music curriculums.
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Introduction
The Music Education Study Program is one of the study programs at the Faculty of
Languages and Arts at Jakarta State University. The music education study program has various
instrument and theory courses. One of the instrument courses in the music education study program
is the guitar course. Guitar courses consist of Carcassi guitar, Carulli guitar, baroque guitar,
Creation of D.R.T.B Works for Guitar Major Students Who
Participate in the Jakarta Six String Extracurricular in
the FBS UNJ Music Education Study Program
Ryan Gredy Aprianno
1*
, Timothy Revival April Torondek
2
Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: [email protected]
1
, [email protected]
2
Correspondence: [email protected]
*
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classical guitar, romantic guitar, modern and recital guitar. If students want to major in guitar, then
they are required to take this course. Before being able to play classical guitar, students must first
understand what classical guitar is.
Classical guitar is a type of guitar that purely uses wood as the main material without the
help of electricity or loudspeakers. A classical guitar consists of a head, neck and body. The
classical guitar that is known today is designed by Antonio de Torres. This guitar was popularized
by Francisco Tarrega who is a guitarist and composer from Spain. Usually, classical guitars use
strings made of nylon so they are easy to play and comfortable in the hand.
Classical guitar has its own playing techniques for playing it, such as apoyando, tirando,
tremolo, pizzicato, bartok, harmonic, slur, barre, tambora and others. These techniques help
classical guitarists in playing a piece of music, where classical guitar playing techniques really
require efficiency, accuracy and neatness of the fingers on both hands of a guitarist. Some of the
world's classical guitarists include Francisco Tarrega, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, John
Williams, David Russell and others.
Many students in the UNJ Music Education study program major in classical guitar.
However, not many of them understand or even know classical guitar. Because usually they
previously played electric guitar or acoustic guitar. Usually, students will find it difficult to sit
when playing classical guitar, right hand position, left hand position and also other techniques that
are very characteristic of classical guitar. This of course really influences them in absorbing the
knowledge provided by the lecturer through guitar works in the form of exercises or exercies or
etudes.
In the music education study program, faculty of language and arts, Jakarta State University,
there is an extracurricular activity for students that focuses on the guitar instrument, namely the
Jakarta Enam Senar (JES).
Jakarta Enam Senar is an ensemble group that focuses on guitar instruments, especially
classical guitar. Jakarta Enam Senar was formed in 2003 on the initiative of guitar major students
who at that time needed a place to play music together/ensemble. Jakarta Enam Senar (JES) already
has a lot of experience in classical guitar concerts, both on a national and international scale. Jakarta
Enam Senar often performs guitar works in ensemble format from foreign composers, but very few
perform works by Indonesian composers. Moreover, there were no student works performed by
Jakarta Enam Senar. In fact, the students who understand the ensemble the best are the students.
This is due to the lack of student interest in creating a guitar work for an ensemble, especially
for Jakarta Enam Senar. There are many factors that influence this, including a lack of literacy in
creating works for guitar ensembles, a lack of personal courage to initiate new works and students'
lack of knowledge about guitar ensemble works. For this reason, this research will overcome this
problem through the work of this research. It is hoped that students will be inspired and encouraged
to create guitar works for the Jakarta Enam Senar ensemble.
This study aims to bridge the gap by exploring the creation of classical guitar works tailored
for the Jakarta Enam Senar ensemble. The research introduces innovative compositional methods,
such as intervallic expansion, tonal transposition, and the use of modes like Lydian and Phrygian,
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to inspire and empower students. The novelty lies in combining traditional classical guitar
techniques with contemporary compositional approaches, creating a repertoire that reflects
Indonesian musical identity while addressing the technical and artistic needs of students.
This research is critical for advancing the pedagogical goals of the Music Education Study
Program. By developing a systematic approach to creating classical guitar ensemble works, it not
only enhances students' compositional and performance skills but also enriches the ensemble's
repertoire with original Indonesian compositions. Furthermore, it provides a model for other
institutions to integrate creative practices into music education.
Research Methods
In the academic realm, there is an understanding that art is something that can be explained
by science, not just by intuition whose origins are unclear. Therefore, this research requires a
research method to explain the creation process in research.
The method used in this research is a qualitative research method with a case study approach.
Case study is a research approach that focuses on case specifications in an event, whether it includes
individuals, cultural groups or a portrait of life (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The case in this
research is a student who has not yet mastered composition techniques in creating classical guitar
ensemble works. Apart from that, this research will also use lecture methods, sheet music
discussions, discussions, practice and demonstrations with experts.
Apart from using this method, this research also uses the Practice Led Research method in
the process of creating its work. Practice Led Research is used in the process of creating a work.
This method explains how ideas are transformed into works of art, including dance performances,
films, sound installations, sculptures and paintings (Carter, 2005). Practice Led Research allows
researchers to place their creative practices in research and carry out various kinds of experiments
on the work they will create (Hamilton & Jaaniste, 2010).
Based on these explanations, the idea referred to in this research is about how one of the
conceptual efforts is to bridge students in creating classical guitar ensemble works. Apart from that,
the author places creative practice in research and carries out experiments on the work he creates.
Results and Discussion
Work Steps
In researching the creation of this work, the researcher found several steps that had been
carried out with students from the Music Education Study Program, especially those who majored
in guitar and took part in the Jakarta Six Strings, so that the following steps were obtained.
1. Determining Ensemble Formation
a) Number of Guitarists: Researchers determine the number of guitarists in the ensemble. Guitar
ensembles can range from trios to quartets or more. The most common formation is a quartet
(4 guitarists), but researchers feel that a quartet formation (4 guitarists) is the most suitable
for the compositional needs.
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b) The Role of Each Guitarist: The researcher determined the role or character of each guitarist.
For example, one guitar may focus more on melody, while another is responsible for
harmonies, arpeggios, or rhythm.
2. Structure of the Work
a) Composition Form: The researcher determines the general form of the work to be created,
such as:
the Sonata Form (introduction of main theme, development, recapitulation)
the Theme and Variations (a theme played with different variations in each repetition)
the Rondo (main theme returning after a contrasting episode, e.g. ABACA)
the Ternary Form (A-B-A, with contrasting middle)
b) Use of Contrast: To maintain interest and dynamics, researchers create variations in tempo,
dynamics, and texture. A fast part can be followed by a slow part or full of harmony with a
more rhythmic part.
3. Melody
a) Main Melody: The researcher begins by creating a prominent main melody. This melody can
be played by 1 guitar or shared among several guitarists.
b) Melody Development: After the main melody is presented, the researcher develops the
melody using techniques such as sequencing (repeating the melody with different pitches),
augmentation (lengthening the note values), diminution (shortening the note values), or
modulation (changing the tonality).
c) Motifs and Repetition: Use small motifs from the main melody as material for variations,
providing a sense of cohesion and consistency in the composition.
4. Harmony
b) Basic Harmonies: Harmonies in guitar ensembles usually consist of open chords, barre, or a
combination of the two. Researchers consider harmonies that support the main melody
without overloading the texture.
b) Layered Sounds: For guitar ensembles, layered sounds are often used, for example:
the Guitar 1 plays the main melody.
the Guitars 2-3 play harmony or countermelody (reply melody).
the 4 (or more) guitars play the bass line and rhythm.
c) Exploration of Polyphony: Researchers also use polyphonic textures, in which several
guitarists play different melodies or motifs simultaneously, creating more complex musical
effects.
5. Texture and Orchestration
a) Arpeggios and Rhythm: The guitar is great for arpeggios (players plucking notes of a chord
one at a time) and rhythmic patterns. Explore arpeggio patterns that can be played by one or
more guitarists to create rich harmonic textures.
b) Division by Part: Researchers confirmed that every guitarist does not always play the same
thing. You can provide variations where one guitarist plays the melody, another the
arpeggios, while the other just plays simple chords.
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c) Dynamic Textures: Use varied textures to provide dynamics. For example, in a climactic
piece, a composer may use the entire ensemble to play full chords or a strong rhythm, while
in a softer piece, only one or two guitarists play a light melody.
6. Technical Guitar
a) Left Hand Position and Technique: The researcher ensured that the written guitar parts could
be played effectively by the students. Consider fret position, barre technique, and stretching
(finger reach) so that it is not too difficult, unless it is intended to challenge the player's
abilities.
b) Right Hand: Use a variety of right hand techniques such as rasgueado (rapid strumming),
pizzicato (finger strumming), or tremolo (rapid strumming of one note repeatedly).
c) Sound Effects: Researchers also experimented with sound effects produced by guitars, such
as golpe (hitting the guitar body), or percussive strumming.
7. Harmony and Modulation
a) Chord Progression: Researchers create chord progressions that support the melody well.
Researchers can use non-diatonic chord progressions (outside the main scale), substitution
chords, or inversion chords to provide a richer harmonic color.
b) Modulation: Moving from one tonality to another (modulation) can provide fresh dynamics.
Researchers use direct modulation or via a dominant-to-tonic bridge (dominant to new
tonality).
8. Rhythm and Metronome
a) Tempo: The researcher determined different tempos in each section to provide variety. For
example, the first part can have a fast tempo to build energy, while the middle part can be
slower and so on.
9. Dynamics and Articulation Instruction
a) Researchers used clear dynamic markings such as forte (f), piano (p), crescendo, and
diminuendo to give the player direction regarding the intensity of the sound.
b) Also include articulations such as staccato (short notes), legato (flowing notes), and accent
(emphasis on certain notes) to clarify the character of the music you want to convey.
10. Finalization and Testing of Work
a) Practice with Ensemble: Researchers conducted trials with a guitar ensemble. This will give
the researcher a chance to hear how the piece actually sounds and whether there are any parts
that need to be adjusted.
Background and Description of the Work
DRTB is a composition that tells the story of the 2013 class of UNJ music arts. DRTB is also
an abbreviation which means Two Thousand Thirteen. Yes, 2013 was the year the composer
entered the UNJ Music Education Study Program. In this work, the composer wants to tell the story
of the class of 2013 from when they first entered the Music Education Study Program until finally
graduating from college and finding their own path in life.
In this work, the composer chose to use a 4 guitar or guitar quartet format, because in 2013
itself, the most major instrument was the guitar, and the composer was also part of the 4.13 guitar
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quartet group, which is a group formed from all of the 2013 class, and because The guitar can
represent every story that the composer will put into tune, as Bethooven said "the guitar is a
miniature orchestra".
In this work, the composer used the 2013 class registration number to create melodies starting
from 281513..., using composition techniques such as repetition, intervallic contraction, intervallic
expansion, real transpost, tonal transpost, ostinato, canon, sequence and interlocking. Apart from
that, the composer also used a 12 tone series and also used modes such as Lydian, Dorian, Phrygian
and Locrian.
With this work, it is hoped that students majoring in guitar at the UNJ Music Education Study
Program who take part in the Jakarta Enam Senar extracurricular activities can gain motivation and
new knowledge about how to create a classical guitar work for an ensemble, as well as new
knowledge in music composition techniques, especially for instruments. classical guitar.
Musical Material Used
Song Form
Structure
Time
Musical material
He
1-9
a. Time line 4/4
b. A major scale
c. Texture: Thin-thick
d. Dynamic: f dan crescendo
e. Technique: Slur, pizzicato and glissando
A
10-25
a. Melody: A major scale, lots of 1st and 2nd guitar unisons
b. Harmony: Bass Ostinato, A major chord
c. Texture: Thick
d. Dynamics: f dan mf
e. Technique : Pizzicato
He
26-34
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A’
35-50
D
107-117
He
Variation’
118-127
The following is an analysis of DRTB's work Repetition and Ostinato.
Real Transpose
Tonal Transpose
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Intervalic expansion
Intervalic Contraction
Sekuens
Repetisi
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Canon imitasi
Canon Retrogade
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Canon Retrogade Inversi
Dorian Modes
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Dorian Modes
Frigian modes
Lydiaan modes
Locrian modes
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Diminished Scale
Whole Tone
Conclusion
In creating a musical work, it would be good for a student who becomes a composer to have
knowledge of composition and knowledge of music and the instrumentation that will be used. In
this case, students create classical guitar works for ensemble format, especially for Jakarta Enam
Senar. In this study, the researcher concluded that students were not yet capable enough/didn't have
the ability to create a classical guitar work for an ensemble.
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