Gamelan in Bali: The Orchestras and Their Kinds
Gamelan Bali: the orchestras, their instruments and their kinds
Gamelan Bali is the traditional orchestra of the island, built mostly from bronze and bamboo instruments that are struck, bowed, blown or plucked. In Bali the music is played at temple festivals, cremations, weddings, theatre performances and village events, so it is part of ritual life as much as it is entertainment. Most ensembles are village groups, and many villages keep their own instruments. The sections below cover what the instruments are, the main kinds of ensemble, how village groups work and how a visitor can watch and listen with respect.
Why Balinese gamelan sounds the way it does
Balinese gamelan is tuned in pairs of slightly different pitches, so each note shimmers. This beating effect is the defining feature of the Balinese style. Two instruments that look identical may sound slightly out of step, and the listener hears the gap as a pulse running through the music. Once you have heard it, you will recognise it in many Balinese ensembles.
The music is organised around cycles, and the gongs mark the phrases and the turns of those cycles. The result feels both bright and very structured, and a good listener can follow the gongs even without knowing the melodies.
The instruments of the ensemble
The metallophones, called gangsa, are the core melodic instruments. Their bronze keys are struck with a mallet and rest on a wooden frame over bamboo tubes, which act as resonators. Gongs of different sizes mark the phrases and cycles, and the largest, the gong ageng, gives the deepest voice in the ensemble.
The kendang are drums, played with the hands. The drummer leads the ensemble and signals changes in tempo, so the drummer is the person to watch if you want to follow the music. Bamboo flutes, called suling, play melodic lines in some ensembles, and bamboo instruments appear in other forms, including the bamboo-based ensembles used for social dance. Cymbals, called ceng-ceng, are used in some ensembles, especially in processional music.
The main kinds of ensemble
Gong kebyar is the best-known modern style. It was first documented in north Bali in the early twentieth century, and it is known for sudden, dramatic changes of tempo and dynamics. It is a large ensemble of gongs and metallophones, and it is the sound most often associated with Balinese dance performances. It is the style most visitors hear first.
Gong gede is a large court style associated with the courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its sound is slow and stately, and after the courts were dissolved its use became largely limited to temple music. Semar pegulingan is a court ensemble from the palace tradition. It was originally played near the sleeping chambers of the palace, and it has a sweeter and more reserved tone than gong kebyar.
Selonding is an ensemble of iron instruments associated with the Bali Aga village of Tenganan in east Bali. It is a sacred ensemble, and the group that plays it is small and held to strict rules. Gender wayang is a pair of small metallophones used to accompany wayang shadow theatre, with a quiet, hypnotic melody. Baleganjur is a processional ensemble of cymbals, drums and gongs, played as the procession moves through the village at a cremation or a temple festival. Gambang is a wooden xylophone ensemble used in some theatre and ritual settings. Joged bumbung is a bamboo ensemble for social dance performances.
Sekaa gong is the general term for the village gong ensemble that most communities keep. Kidung is sung poetry that accompanies some ensemble and ritual music, and it adds a vocal layer to the instrumental sound.
The village groups and how they work
Most Balinese villages have a sekaa, a group that practises and plays for ceremonies. Membership is often tied to the village, and the groups train young players, so music is passed down through practice in the village rather than through printed scores. The ensembles are an important anchor of community identity. They are invited to play at weddings, temple festivals and cremations, and some groups travel to play at festivals and cultural events. Some schools also teach gamelan, so a child may learn in class as well as in the village.
Music and the ceremonial calendar
The music is linked to the ceremonial calendar, and different ensembles play for different occasions. Temple anniversaries, called odalan, follow the 210-day Pawukon cycle, so each temple celebrates on its own date and there is no single island-wide schedule. Gamelan groups prepare for these dates well in advance. Cremation processions are accompanied by baleganjur and other ensembles, and visitors who are in the street at the right time may hear the music passing through the village. The timing of music during temple festivals is set by custom and by the priests, not by the wishes of the audience.
Watching and listening as a visitor
Visitors can watch a gamelan performance at a temple festival, a cultural event or a village show, and many villages welcome interested visitors who come with respect. Some villages and arts centres offer short lessons, and visitors can try the instruments under supervision. Ask a local person about upcoming performances, since the dates follow the ceremonial calendar and are not fixed.
Watch the drummer, who leads the ensemble, and listen for the gong cycles that mark the phrases. Stay seated during a performance, and do not walk in front of the musicians or the instruments.
Etiquette around the instruments
Do not touch the instruments without permission, and do not climb on the gamelan towers or platforms. Dress modestly for a temple or village performance, with a sarong and sash for a temple. Photography is usually allowed at public performances, but ask before filming close to the players or during a rite. Keep your voice low, and do not chat loudly while the music is playing.
Listening for the structure of a performance
A gamelan piece is built in layers, and the easiest way to follow it is to listen for the lowest voice first. The large gong marks the longest cycles, and each stroke tells the ensemble where a phrase ends. Above it, the smaller gongs divide those cycles into shorter pulses, and the metallophones play the melody in interlocking parts. The two players of each metallophone pair strike notes that are slightly apart in pitch, which is the cause of the shimmer that gives the music its character. Once you have picked out the big gong, the rest of the ensemble starts to make sense, and the entrance of a new section becomes easy to hear.
Drums often change the mood of a piece in a single beat. When the drummer speeds the tempo or switches pattern, the dancers respond and the whole ensemble follows. Watch the drummer’s hands and the lead metallophone player, who often cues the others with a nod, and the performance becomes much easier to follow.
Useful Balinese and Indonesian words
Gamelan is the traditional ensemble. Gangsa is the metallophone and gong ageng is the largest gong. Kendang is the drum, ceng-ceng are cymbals and suling is the bamboo flute. Sekaa is the village group. Gong kebyar is the modern bright style and gong gede is the large court style. Semar pegulingan is the gentle court ensemble, and selonding is the iron ensemble of Tenganan. Gender wayang is the small metallophone pair, baleganjur is the processional ensemble, gambang is the wooden xylophone and joged bumbung is the bamboo dance music. Kidung is sung poetry.
Common questions about gamelan in Bali
Can I try playing? In some villages and arts centres, yes, under supervision. Ask first and follow the instructions of the teacher. Do I need to know the music? No. Most visitors enjoy the sound without knowing the structure, and the gong cycles are easy to hear once you listen for them. How long do performances last? That depends on the occasion. Ceremonial music can run for a long time, so bring a light layer for evening performances.
The wider world of Balinese performance is covered in the cultural experiences in Bali guide, which explains how the shows and festivals fit together. The rules that apply at any temple or village event are set out in the Bali temple rules page, and the general manners that help a visitor fit in are in the Bali etiquette guide.
Related guides: Selonding, Joged bumbung’s roots in northern Bali, Lelambatan, kendang bali drum, kebyar trompong, Gong Kebyar: Bali’s Bright Bronze Orchestra, Gong Gede: The Older Court-Style Gamelan of Bali, Gamelan Angklung: The Light Bronze Ensemble of Bali, Semar Pegulingan: The Court Gamelan of Bali, Gender Wayang: The Ensemble That Accompanies Shadow Puppets, Baleganjur: The Procession Gamelan of Bali, Gambang: The Wooden-Keyed Gamelan of Bali, Balinese Gamelan Instruments: Gangsa, Reyong and Kendang, Suling: The Bamboo Flute in Balinese Music, Sekaa Gong: The Village Gamelan Clubs of Bali, Kidung: Balinese Sung Poetry in Kawi, Trompong: The Gong-Chime Melody Instrument of Balinese Gamelan, Colin McPhee: The Composer Who Recorded Balinese Gamelan, Gambang Bali: Traditional Balinese Xylophone Ensemble, Explained, Suling Bali: Balinese Bamboo Flute in Gamelan, Explained, Gamelan Bebonangan: Balinese Gong-Chime Ensemble, Explained, Gamelan Jegog: The Bamboo Gamelan of Jembrana.