Gamelan - The Spirit of Java

Gamelan is surely not a foreign music. Its popularity has penetrated every continent and has created a new blend of jazz-gamelan music, gave birth to the institution as a learning space and the expression of gamelan music, to produce famous gamelan musicians. Gamelan music instrument can now be enjoyed in many parts of the world, but Yogyakarta is the most appropriate place to enjoy gamelan it since you can enjoy the original version.

Gamelan developing in Yogyakarta is Javanese gamelan, a form of gamelan is different from Balinese gamelan or Sundanese gamelan. Javanese gamelan has a softer tone and slow, in contrast to the dynamic Balinese gamelan and Sundanese gamelan highly dominated lilting voice and flute. The difference is reasonable, since Java has a view of life that is expressed in the rhythm of gamelan music.

Javanese philosophy of life expressed in gamelan music is the harmony of physical and spiritual life, harmony in speaking and acting so as not to create an explosive expression and create tolerance among fellow. Real form of music is the pull string fiddle that is, a balanced blend of sound kenong, saron drums and xylophone and gong sounds on every cover of rhythm.







There is no definite history of gamelan. The development is expected since the emergence of gamelan music gong, fiddle, clapping to the mouth, the friction on a thin rope or bamboo to familiar musical instruments from metal. Further development after named gamelan, the music was used to accompany wayang performance, and dance. Later it became independent as the music itself and equipped with the voice of sinden.

A set of gamelan consist of several instruments, including a set of similar musical instrument drum called a drum, fiddle and zither, xylophone, gongs and bamboo flutes. The main components that make up the gamelan music instruments are bamboo, metal, and wood. Each instrument has its own function in gamelan music show, for example gong music played to close a long and give the balance after the previous music rhythm decorated by gising.

Cental Java Gamelan Instruments

• Kendang (Drum),  is a leader  instrumen. Pengendang is the conductor of thegamelan music. There are 5 drum size of 20 cm - 45 cm.


• Saron, percussion instruments of bronze with wood refuted. There are 3 kinds ofSaron; Barung Saron, Saron Peking, Saron demung.


• Bonang Barung, equipment consists of 2 rows of bronze is played with 2 tools at.


• Gambang (Xylophone), wooden slab placed on wooden frames.


• Gender, almost the same as slentem with more bronze plate.


• Gong slendro and pelog, each set comes with 3 gongs. Two major Gong (GongAgeng) and one gong suwukan about 90 cm, made ​​of bronze, Gong signal the end ofthe song lyrics long.


• Kempul, small gong, to indicate which parts rhythmic songs short. Each set slendro andpelog consists of 6 or 10 kempul.


• Siter, each set slendro and pelog require 1 siter.


• Ketug, also called small kenong, indicating a pause between songs.


• Kenong, something like a small gong above placemat, a set can complete a good set of 10 kenong slendro or pelog.


• Slentem, bronze plate were placed on bamboo for resonance.


• Seruling (flute), each set slendro and pelog require a flute.


• Clempung, string instruments, each set slendro and pelog require one clempung.