Balinese music, practiced by young and old


Balinese music can be heard throughout the island: in small restaurants, resort hotel lobbies, every spa venue. But most of all in it is heard the numerous temples, during ceremonies and in Balinese villages.

Old men and young kids seem to share their love for music. They practice as much as they can on the many parts of the Gamelan.

The Gamelan originated in Indonesia and can be found on several islands, each having its own style and type of Gamelan instruments. The word ‘gamel’ means ‘to strike or hammer’ in Javanese.

gamalan instrument bali
Balinese men behind their beloved instrument

What is the Gamelan?

The Gamelan is a set of instruments. It often includes bamboo flutes, gongs, xylophones (instrument of small and large bamboo bars struck to make a sound), metallophones (which has bronze metal bars), drums, bells, cymbals and a bamboo rattle called ‘angklung’.

The instruments of the Gamelan are kept at the ‘bale banjar’. This is the communal meeting hall within the walls of a Balinese compound.

Nobody owns the instruments, it belongs to the whole community.

bali music gamalan in balai
Instruments stowed in the village bale

When you walk around typical Balinese villages you can hear the exotic sounds of the Gamelan coming from the various compounds where new music is written and practiced.

Even when I tour around I see men practicing Balinese music on Gamelan or performing a new piece of music for other villagers.

The Balinese love to mix old music with new influences and practice for months until it’s perfect. They will not mix any of the religious old songs though.

The Balinese believe the sounds of Gamelan instruments can ward off evil spirits.

women gamalan orchestra ubud
Men usually play the Gamelan but in Ubud there is one exception…

Dances accompanied by the Gamelan

When you see a Legong dance, Barong dance, Baris dance or any of the other dances you’ll see a group of men accompanying the dancers by playing Gamelan.

What’s funny is that they seem to play uncontrollably and quickly but every player has a special role in the whole orchestra of men.

At the Wayang puppet performances, the Gamelan players accompany the Wayang puppet players on the lines of the story.

One of the few Balinese dances where you’ll not find any Gamelan instruments is the Ramayana Monkey Chant, Kecak. Here you’ll only hear the ‘chak-a-chak-a-chak’ sounds of the bare-chested choir of men and the low deep voice of the storyteller.

Want to learn more about Balinese music, the Gamelan and actually try to play it? You can join the many courses offered in Ubud.

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