Serunai (also seruné, serune, sarunai; Dutch: obo-achtig instrument — “oboe-like instrument”) is a double-reed conical-bore aerophone of the shawm family, indigenous to Acheh (Atjēh), northern Sumatra. It is the principal melodic instrument for outdoor, processional, and ceremonial music in Aceh, and one of the “typisch Mohammedaansche speeltuigen” (“typically Mohammedan instruments”) identified by Jaap Kunst for Atjēh in Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten (1946, p. 10), alongside the gambus, rabana, Marwas, and Bangei.
Organology
- Hornbostel-Sachs classification: 422.112 (conical bore, double reed, with fingerholes)
- Body: conical wooden tube, typically jackfruit (nangka / Artocarpus heterophyllus), rosewood (sonokeling / Dalbergia latifolia), ebony (kayu hitam / Diospyros), or teak (jati / Tectona grandis); length 30–45 cm
- Bell: flared wooden or metal (brass, copper) bell (terompet), often detachable
- Reed: double reed (pelipit / daun) made from palm leaf (daun enau / Arenga pinnata), bamboo skin (kulit bambu), or metal (brass, silver); tied to a metal staple (stapel / kancing) inserted into the pirouette
- Pirouette (pelipit / tempat pelipit): metal or wooden disc against which the player’s lips rest, enabling circular breathing
- Fingerholes: 7 fingerholes (6 front, 1 thumbhole) + 1–2 vent holes near bell
- Tuning: approximately diatonic / pelog-like scale; keynote around D4–G4 (variable)
- Playing technique: circular breathing (napas berputar) essential for continuous sound; high pressure, loud, penetrating timbre
- Range: approximately 1.5 octaves (with overblowing)
- Ornamentation: rapid tonguing (ceplos), grace notes (gesek), vibrato (getar), glissando (geser)
Historical and Regional Context
The serunai belongs to the widespread shawm family that spread across the Islamic world from Central Asia (surnay, zurna, sorna, suona) to North Africa (ghaita, rhaita), Anatolia (zurna), the Balkans (zurla), South Asia (shehnai, nadaswaram), and Southeast Asia (serunai, serune, sarunai, saronai).
| Region / People | Local Name | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Acheh | Serunai / Seruné | Seudati, Saman, Meuseukat, Zikir, Maulid, Pekan, Kenduri |
| **[[Menangkabau | Minangkabau]]** | Serunai / Sarunai |
| Riau / Johor / Melayu | Serunai / Sarunai | Zapin, Ghazal, Hadrah, Mak Yong |
| Sunda (West Java) | Saronen / Tarompet | Kuda Lumping, Reog, Sisingaan |
| Java | Selompret / Saronen | Gamelan (loud style), Reog, Kuda Lumping |
| Bali | Suling (flute) — no shawm | — |
| Sasak (Lombok) | Serunai | Gendang Beleq |
| Makassar / Bugis | Pui / Pui-pui | Gendang ensembles |
| India (North) | Shehnai | Temple, wedding, processional |
| India (South) | Nadaswaram / Nagaswaram | Temple, festival |
| Persia / Central Asia | Sorna / Surnay / Zurna | Military, folk, Sufi |
| Turkey | Zurna | Mehter (Ottoman military band), folk |
| Arab World | Mizmar / Zamr / Rhaita | Folk, Sufi, wedding |
The Acehnese serunai is most closely related to the Minangkabau serunai and Malay serunai, sharing the palm-leaf double reed and detachable metal bell — features distinguishing it from the Javanese saronen (which often uses a pirouette without a detachable bell) and the Indian shehnai (which has a wider bore and more holes).
Role in Acehnese Music
The serunai is indispensable for:
1. Seudati (Men’s Seated Dance-Song)
- Lead melodic instrument — plays the lagu (melody) while rabana and Marwas provide rhythm
- Repertoire: Seudati Agam (men’s), Seudati Inong (women’s — serunai sometimes replaced by suling)
- Performance: outdoor, competitive, processional
2. Sedati (Seated Dance Around a Boy)
- Described by Kunst (1946, p. 10): “lenige, zich om een kleinen jongen centreerende, door een groot aantal jongelieden tegelijk uitgevoerde sedati-dansspel”
- Serunai leads the ensemble (serunai, rabana, marwas, geudoemba)
3. Saman (Dance of a Thousand Hands)
- Serunai plays melodic introduction (buka) and interludes between tak cycles
- In Gayo Lands (Gayo Lands), serunai sometimes replaced by suling for indoor performances
4. Meuseukat (Women’s Seated Dance-Song)
- Serunai provides melodic counterpoint to vocal lines
- Softer playing style, often with suling doubling
5. Zikir / Dzikir / Hadrah (Sufi Liturgical Processions)
- Serunai plays qasidah melodies during maulid processions
- Circular breathing allows unbroken sound for dhikr cycles
6. Pekan / Kenduri / Maulid (Feasts & Celebrations)
- Processional music from meunasah (prayer hall) to host’s house
- Serunai + rabana + marwas = core processional trio
7. Pencak Silat (Martial Arts) Accompaniment
- Serunai drives the tempo for silat demonstrations
- Rhythmic melodic patterns (gending) match jurus (movement sequences)
Construction (Traditional Acehnese)
| Component | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Nangka (jackfruit), Sonokeling (rosewood), Kayu hitam (ebony), Jati (teak) | Turned on lathe or hand-carved; conical bore reamed |
| Bell | Brass, copper, nangka wood | Detachable; flared for projection |
| Reed | Daun enau (sugar palm leaf), kulit bambu (bamboo skin), brass | Tied to staple with tali ijuk (sugar palm fiber) |
| Staple | Brass, copper, silver | Conical, fits into pirouette |
| Pirouette | Brass, wood, bone | Lip rest for circular breathing |
| Fingerholes | Burned/drilled | 6 front + 1 thumb + 1–2 vents |
| Binding | Tali ijuk, rattan | Reinforces joints, decorative |
Repertoire (Gending Serunai)
Common gending (melodic pieces) for serunai in Aceh:
| Gending | Context | Meter / Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Gending Seudati | Seudati dance | 4/4, driving |
| Gending Sedati | Sedati dance | 4/4, lyrical |
| Gending Saman | Saman intro/interlude | Free, rubato |
| Gending Meuseukat | Meuseukat | 4/4, gentle |
| Gending Zikir | Zikir procession | Slow, meditative |
| Gending Maulid | Maulid procession | Joyful, ornamented |
| Gending Silat | Pencak Silat | Rhythmic, accented |
| Gending Pekan | Wedding feast | Festive, varied |
Iconography
Illustrated in Jaap Kunst, Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten (1946), Mededeling No. LXVII, Afdeling Volkenkunde No. 20:
- Plate 13 — Serunai (oboe-like instruments) from various regions
- Plate 14 — Serunai details: reed, staple, pirouette, fingerholes
- Plate 28a — Seudati ensemble with serunai player (center)
- Plate 28b — Saman ensemble (Gayo) showing serunai position
See Also
- Seudati
- Sedati (dance)
- Saman (dance)
- Meuseukat
- Zikir
- Dzikir
- Hadrah
- Maulid
- Pekan
- Kenduri
- Pencak Silat
- Gambus (Aceh)
- Rabana (Aceh)
- Redep
- Marwas
- Geudoemba
- Bangei
- Suling (Aceh)
- Hareubab
- Tjanang Triëng
- Kendang (Aceh)
- Gendang
- Acheh
- Gayo Lands
- Minangkabau
- Riau
- Malay Peninsula
- Shehnai
- Nadaswaram
- Zurna
- Sorna
- Saronen
- Selompret
- Islam in Aceh
- Aceh Sultanate
- Jaap Kunst
- Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten (1946)
- Koninklijke Vereeniging Indisch Instituut
Source
Jaap Kunst, Muziek en Dans in de Buitengewesten, Mededeling No. LXVII, Afdeling Volkenkunde No. 20, Koninklijke Vereeniging “Indisch Instituut” te Amsterdam (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1946), p. 10; Plates 13, 14, 28a, 28b. Based on field research 1919–1934.