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Chapter 54
Gamelan Gong Kebyar of Belaluan, Bali
Kebyar Ding III g-
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Shimmering Timbre
A Textured Melody
A Closer Look: Gamelan
Dynamics and Tempo
Connect Your Playlist: Ostinato
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
54.3 Listen for the textured melody of Kebyar Ding III –
performed by the Gamelan Gong Kebyar of Belaluan (Bali).
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54.6 Listen for the interlocking melodic patterns and ostinatos in this work.
Key Concepts
timbre, ostinato, connection to minimalism
Chapter Highlight: Harmony and Timbre
The timbre, rhythms, and form of Indonesian gamelan music are known to have had a
direct influence on Debussy, who heard an ensemble of this kind during the 1889
International Exposition in Paris. The shimmering percussive timbre and floating, non–
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Chapter Summary
of music. From Indonesia, gamelans consist primarily of bronze instruments, but there
are other types (flutes, drums, etc.) in them as well. Javanese gamelans were originally
played in the courts of princes until Balinese villagers created a new style, gamelan
gong kebyar
interlocking melodic patterns and ostinatos. The instruments in a gamelan include
horizontally mounted gongs, some tuned slightly away from the others, xylophones, and
vertical gongs. The Listening Guide distinguishes gender (bronze vibraphone),
trompong (bronze bowl-shaped gongs), and the low gong.
Listening Guide
Gamelans contain many small segments that join together in broader-conceived
sections. The example here contains six sections with several divisions within each one.
Students might first listen for the kebyar, moments of silence, and low pulses on the
gongs. Further listening will help distinguish the gender and trompong use.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Gamelan Gong Kebyar of Belaluan: Kebyar Ding III,
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Chapter Audio: Chapter 54
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1.Who plays in a Balinese gamelan? What training is needed? Is the music written
down? What does the combination of the answers to these questions say about music in
Balinese society?
2. Compare the Kebyar Ding III –
that use ostinatos. How are they alike and how do they differ?
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Activities and Exercises
1. Investigate the differences between Javanese and Balinese society, including religion,
2. Compare the video of the gamelan performance with a Western classical orchestral
work. Note particularly the role of the conductor in the latter and the lack of one in the
former. Discuss what that means about the ensembles.
Journaling Prompt
Balinese gamelans sound very different from Javanese gamelans, even though the two islands
are only just over two miles apart (at their closest points). A Balinese gamelan sounds much