Melodic Fluidity and Cultural Continuity: A Qualitative Analysis of Flute Improvisation in Malaysian Keroncong Performance

This study examines flute improvisation in Malaysian keroncong performance, focusing on its role in shaping melodic fluidity and sustaining cultural continuity. Despite the prominence of improvisation in keroncong practice, scholarly attention to instrumental approaches—particularly the flute—remains limited. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this research draws on semi-structured interviews, audio analysis, and performance transcription involving three experienced keroncong flutists. The findings indicate that improvisation is informed by a combination of harmonic awareness and stylistic sensitivity, with performers employing chord tones, arpeggios, chromaticism, and controlled articulation to achieve coherent melodic development. These techniques support not only individual expression but also ensemble cohesion, as improvisation is closely aligned with listening practices, structural awareness, and real-time interaction within the group setting. Furthermore, the study highlights improvisation as a critical mechanism for cultural continuity. By adhering to established stylistic conventions while allowing interpretative flexibility, flutists contribute to the preservation and contemporary relevance of keroncong music. This dual function positions improvisation as both a creative and culturally embedded practice. This research contributes to the limited body of literature on Malaysian keroncong by foregrounding instrumental improvisation as a key site of musical and cultural negotiation, offering insights relevant to ethnomusicology, performance studies, and Southeast Asian music scholarship.

Keroncong music, Flute improvisation, Malaysian traditional music, Musical performance practice, Cultural continuity

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