The website of the UK Gamelan Network

Email newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter for details of gamelan events and information about what's new on the site.

RSS news feed

Click on the link to get the subscribe address

UK Gamelan Network news

For more information about RSS see the
help pages

Email info at gamelannetwork.co.uk

For sale/wanted

Advertise items for sale or wanted, on the UK Gamelan Network website

Go to our for sale/wanted page for details

Balinese gamelan

Balinese gong kebyar

Some of the instruments from the gong kebyar Lila Cita

Gamelan gong kebyar

Balinese gamelan Lila Cita, (the name refers to both the gamelan and the group) is a gong kebyar, the most popular form of gamelan in Bali today.

Kebyar is usually translated as 'bursting open' and gong kebyar burst upon the Balinese gamelan scene 1915. The instruments have five tones.

Carved bhoma from the end of a gangsa

The instruments include a number of gangsa (at the back left of the picture) of different sizes. They have bronze keys, suspended over bamboo resonators and are struck with wooden mallets.

The larger of these instruments (jegog and calung) play the basic melody. The smaller gangsa play kotekan - rapid interlocking patterns.

These consist of two parts polos (plain) and sangsih (differing). The picture also shows the reyong (gong chimes) and the gongs.

The ensemble is led by two drums, playing interlocking patterns. All the metallophones are tuned in pairs, to the same pitch, but one of each pair is tuned slightly higher than the other.

This results in the shimmering sound which is characteristic of Balinese gamelan. The gongs and drums are also tuned in pairs wadon (female) and lanang (male).

See other Balinese gamelan
Back to What is gamelan