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pathet
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pathet

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Also spelled:
patet

pathet, in the gamelan (Southeast Asian orchestra consisting mostly of gongs and other metal percussion instruments) music of Java, Indonesia, the concept of mode, which serves as a framework for melodies. Three pathet may be generated by each of the music’s scale systems: slendro, which has five tones spaced at virtually equidistant intervals; and pelog, a nonequidistant seven-tone system. Each pathet emphasizes different notes of the scale and uses certain melodic formulas for beginning or ending a piece. The pathet also are associated with particular times of day and specific segments of a theatrical performance.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Virginia Gorlinski.