The music of Balinese gamelan

Gamelan refers to the Indonesian orchestra, typically consisting of a wide range of percussion instruments. There are many different types of gamelan music, with different sonic styles, arrangements, and instrumentations. Whereas Javanese gamelan has a rather soft sound in general and low tempo, Balinese gamelan is kinetic, with a high-energy feel and more intense staccato. The instrumentation in Balinese gamelan is different from that of other islands. Balinese gamelan uses a few higher-pitched xylophones, for example. Moreover, Balinese gamelan is integral to Balinese culture. The gamelan ensembles are necessary accompaniments to Balinese dances, which are in turn inseparable from Balinese culture. Dance, music, and drama combine to form the basis for Balinese cultural and artistic expressions. Typically, gamelan musicians are all male, but dancers may be of both genders. Staging of gamelan may or may not include formal costumes.

Among the defining features of Balinese gamelan is its dynamics. A composition can morph from being quiet to being intensely loud. These changes in tone and style throughout one song create a compelling listening experience for the viewer. The dynamics of Balinese gamelan also make it an incredibly flexible style. Gamelan orchestras can be harnessed for new compositions, as well as rendering traditional favorites that have special meaning for a particular village, community, or even one family.

Gamelan instruments are played while seated, and nearly the entire orchestra remains seated throughout a performance. In larger gamelan orchestras, the ensemble may be situated at specific areas of the stage to allow for the ideal acoustics. This is because some of the instruments are louder or have more bass resonance than others, which need to be placed closer to the audience.

The artists usually, if not always, bless the instruments before playing with a silent prayer because music is considered sacred and to communicate a sacred energy. Yet there is nothing solemn about Balinese gamelan. Players often smile, and there is a fun playfulness to the entire performance. Some songs feel like "jams," in that they involve vamping continuously around specific chords with no apparent structure or melodic flow. Yet these jams belie the difficulty of actually playing gamelan instruments. There is a sense that improvisation is encouraged or expected in some performances. Other songs are more structured, particularly those written by European composers working with gamelan. Either way, gamelan comes across as being complex and difficult to master.

The "Kecak" song is a particularly famous composition by a Dutch composer who wrote the piece for gamelan and voice. Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart had brought the Kecak performance to Western audiences when he recognized its merits. Kecak (pronounced ke-chak) is designed to sound like a chorus of bullfrogs. This composition is unique among Balinese gamelan because of its vocals, and is also strikingly different from the gamelan sounds from other Indonesian islands. The structured gamelan pieces often include other distinctly Western elements in their compositions, including the occasional solo, a steady bass drum beat, repeating elements, and more steady rhythmic or metric structures. When local gamelan ensembles play informally, the result is looser and more improvisational.

The xylophones in Balinese gamelan require a unique wedge-shaped mallet. The player must also silence the vibrating keys with a smaller knob mallet, to avoid interfering vibrations. Alternatively, the musician may silence the keys with his hand. These xylophones are the central instruments of the orchestra, providing gamelan with its distinct sound. Also integral to Balinese gamelan are cymbals and double-sided drums. A flute offers a higher registered melody, in the range of human voice. Only rarely will a singer offer vocalizations to accompany the instrumentation of the gamelan. There are also a few bowed string instruments that provide texture to the music. A range of other percussive instruments, including gongs, is frequently incorporated into gamelan at unpredictable moments. In fact, the unpredictability of gamelan is one of its distinguishing features.