One of the most ancient types of music still in existence, the sounds of a gamelan ensemble are haunting and hypnotic. These ensembles are rooted in Indonesia, particularly Bali and Java, and have played a great role in shaping many different styles of Western music today.
Instrumentation and Sound
Gamelan, which is the word used to refer to this ensemble of instruments, is primarily made up of a family of melodic percussion known as metallophones, which consist of metal keys progressively arranged. They bear a resemblance to the xylophone and the marimba, although they are tuned to a pentatonic scale.
These keyboards are struck with special hammers, hence the name gamelan, which comes from the Javanese word "gamel", meaning "to strike". Other instruments used in a gamelan include gongs of various sizes, drums, bamboo flutes, rattles, and occasionally singers.
Gamelan arrangements are complex and cannot be performed by an individual performer; a group effort is important in this type of ensemble. Arrangements typically employ a cyclical, repetitive structure, with interlocking parts in the metallophones and phrases marked by the gongs.
As with any genre of music, arrangements, sound, and instrumentation vary based on regional differences. The two most well-known types of gamelan can be found in Java and Bali.
Balinese Gamelan
Balinese gamelan is often considered very dramatic and intense, and frequently employs faster tempos, as well as tempo changes and greater fluctuations in dynamics in comparison with Javanese gamelon.
A Balinese gamelan will usually have fewer gongs than metallophones, but they often use a type of cymbal that creates a unique sound not found in other types of gamelon.
Javanese Gamelan
Javanese gamelan arrangements are softer than the Balinese style, and is often thought to be more meditative.
Metallophones in Javanese gamelon have thinner keys then their Balinese counterparts. Javanese gamelan uses two tuning systems: a pentatonic scale ("slendro", mentioned above), and a seven tone scale ("pelog") which employs half steps.
Performance Traditions
Gamelans perform in a variety of settings. A street procession in Indonesia may feature a marching gamelon, while a more formal performance by a large orchestra is known as a gamelon gong. A smaller version of gamelan gong which performs at several different ceremonies is known as gamelan angklung.
Wayang, another type of gamelan, accompanies wayang kulit, which is a traditional shadow puppet performance. The integration of gamelan music here is so important that the puppeteer, referred to as the "dalang", is required to have a thorough understanding of the arrangement.
Gamelan Ensembles Today
Perhaps the most famous American gamelan ensemble is Gamelan Sekar Jaya, based in the San Francisco Bay area. In fact, they were recognized by Indonesia's Tempo Magazine as “the finest Balinese gamelan ensemble outside of Indonesia.”
Gamelan Sekar Jaya consists of five different ensembles, including Gamelan Angklung, Gamelan Gong, and Wayang.
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