Gamelan Music

Gamelan is the traditional orchestra of Bali (and Java) — and one of the most fascinating sounds in the world. A gamelan ensemble consists of metallophones (tuned bronze plates struck with wooden mallets), gongs, drums, flutes, and cymbals — together they create a hypnotic, shimmering soundscape of overwhelming complexity.

Balinese gamelan differs fundamentally from Javanese: It is faster, louder, more dynamic, and wilder. Where Javanese gamelan is gently meditative, Balinese gamelan is a whirlwind of energy — with explosive accelerandi, abrupt tempo changes, and an intensity that gets under your skin.

There are different types of gamelan for different occasions: Gamelan Gong Kebyar (the modern, virtuosic orchestra), Gamelan Semar Pegulingan (court gamelan), Gamelan Gender Wayang (accompaniment for shadow play), and the archaic Gamelan Selonding (only in Bali Aga villages like Tenganan).

Every village in Bali has at least one gamelan ensemble, and almost every Balinese boy learns an instrument. The rehearsals (usually in the evening at the Banjar, the community pavilion) are public — you can just listen.