General Information about the Music courses offered at Beverley High School

Indonesian Gamelan

Gamelan is a term for various types of orchestra played in Indonesia.  It is the main element of the Indonesian traditional music.  Each gamelan is slightly different from the other; however, they all have the same organization, which based on different instrumental groups with specific orchestral functions.  The instruments in a gamelan are composed of sets of tuned bronze gongs, gong-chimes, metallophones, drums, one or more flute, bowed and plucked string instruments, and sometimes singers.  In some village gamelan, bronze is sometimes replaced by iron, wood, or bamboo.  The most popular gamelan can be found in Java, and Bali.