The pieces used to accompany the dances are traditionally gendhing with long structures (originally designated at least "kethuk 4 arang"; see gendhing for an explanation); however, shorter gendhings were also used later (such as "kethuk 4 kerep" or "kethuk 2"). The most ancient and sacred song is the "Bedhaya Ketawang". When the bedhaya dancers appear on stage, in Yogyakarta it was accompanied by an ayak-ayakan; in Surakarta, it is only accompanied by a pathetan known as "pathetan bedhaya", which has lost much of the rhythmic freedom associated with pathetans to fit better the stride of the dancers.