Gamelan is The Original Classical Music

Gamelan is the original classical music from Indonesia that is was created from the combination of gong, kenong and other Javanese music instruments. The rhythm of the music is soft and reflects the harmony of Javanese life will soon greet and calm the soul so heard.

Gamelan is clearly no longer a foreign music. Its popularity has penetrated the various continents and has spawned a new music jazz-gamelan, gave birth to the institution as a learning space and gamelan music expression, to produce famous gamelan musicians. Gamelan music can be enjoyed in various parts of the world, but Yogyakarta is the right place to enjoy the city's gamelan because you can enjoy the original version.

Gamelan in Yogyakarta is Javanese Gamelan, a form of gamelan that is different from Balinese Gamelan or Sundanese Gamelan. Javanese Gamelan has softer tone and slow, it is different from Balinese Gamelan that is melodious with domination and Sundanese Gamelan that is very lilting and dominated the sound of a pipe. The difference is reasonable, since Java has its own view of life that is expressed in its gamelan music rhythms.



The Java view of life that is expressed in its gamelan music is the harmony of physical and spiritual life, harmony in talking and acting so as not to bring up the explosiveness and manifest expression of tolerance among others. The real manifestation in his music is the pull rope rebab was, kenong, saron kendang and gambang and the sound of the gong on each closing Cadence.

There is no clarity about the history of the emergence of the gamelan. Development of gamelan music estimated kentongan, rebab, tap into the mouth, friction on the rope or thin bamboo until the introduction of musical instruments from the metal. The next development was named after the gamelan, the music is used to accompany wayang performances, and dance. It was only at some time afterwards stand as its own music and is equipped with the voice of the female as sinden.

A set of gamelan consists of several instruments, including a set of similar musical instruments called drums, rebab and kendang celempung, gambang, gong and bamboo flute. The main components composing the gamelan instruments are bamboo, metal, and wood. Each tool has its own function in gamelan music, for example, the gong plays close a long rhythm of the music and give balance after earlier music by the rhythm of the melodies.

Javanese Gamelan is music with pentatonic. A complete gamelan play consists of two rounds, namely slendro and pelog. Slendro has 5 melodies per octave namely 1 2 3 4 5 6 [C-D E + G A] with small interval difference. Pelog has 7 melodies per octave namely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [C + D E-F # G # A B] with a big interval difference. Gamelan music composition created with some rules, which consist of several rounds and pathet, confined by one Gong and the melodies were created in a unit consisting of four tones.

You can see gamelan as a musical performance in their own right and as accompanist to the performing arts such as dance or wayang kulit and ketoprak. As a separate performance, gamelan music is usually combined with the voice of the Javanese singers (male singers female singers called wiraswara and is called waranggana). Gamelan music performances held now may be a classic or contemporary gamelan. One form of contemporary gamelan is jazz-gamelan which is a blend of music pentatonic and diatonic melodies.


One of the places in Yogyakarta where you can see gamelan performances is the Kraton Yogyakarta. On Thursday at 10.00-12.00 WIB held gamelan as a musical performance. Saturday at the same time as accompanist of gamelan music performed by puppets, while the Sunday at the same time presented gamelan music as a traditional Javanese dance accompanist. To see the show, you get to Bangsal Sri Manganti. While to see the old gamelan, you could be headed for another Palace ward located further back.