How to Write Gamelan Songs

You want a gamelan song that feels ancient and new at the same time. You want pulsating gongs, interlocking metalophones, a melody that sits like a sun in the center of a whole orbit, and a rhythm that makes people move whether they know the terms or not. This guide teaches you how to compose gamelan songs from the ground up then adapt them for modern listeners without betraying the tradition.

Everything here is practical and direct. You will find definitions that do not sound like a dusty textbook, step by step workflows, notation examples you can copy, and realistic studio and rehearsal tips. If you are writing for an academic ensemble, a community group, a fusion band, a film cue, or a viral clip, this guide gives you tools that work.

Quick orientation: What is gamelan

Gamelan is a family of musical ensembles from Indonesia built mostly from tuned percussion instruments. The core is bronze keys, gongs, drums, and flutes. Gamelan is also a musical system. It contains particular scales, a way of structuring time with punctuating gongs, and a practice in which many parts interlock in layered cycles to create the whole.

Real life scenario

• You are producing a short film and want an original score that sounds like Indonesian ensemble music but not a copy. You need to know which instruments carry the melody, which ones mark the form, and which ones decorate. That is what we will teach you.

Key terms explained so you do not look clueless

• Balungan : Core melody. It is the skeleton of a gamelan piece and can be simple. Think of it as the song chorus in a pop track. If you lose the elaborating instruments, the balungan still tells the tune.
• Colotomic structure : The system of punctuating points in a cycle that tell players where they are. Gongs mark long points. Kenong, kempul and ketuk mark shorter points. Imagine a clock face with bells at 12 and smaller taps every quarter hour.
• Slendro : A five tone tuning system. The intervals are roughly even. It feels open and circular. Good for meditative or haunting moods.
• Pelog : A seven tone tuning system. Most pieces use subsets of its tones. It contains both narrow and wide intervals and feels more color rich.
• Kepatihan : Numeric cipher notation used in Java. Numbers 1 to 7 represent scale degrees. Dots above or below a number mark octave. It is quick to write and to teach to ensembles.
• Kotekan : Interlocking rapid patterns usually associated with Balinese gamelan. Two parts play complementary strokes to create a fast composite line.
• Sindhen : Solo vocalist, usually female, who sings against the ensemble. The voice is ornamental and flexible with microtonal inflections.
• Gerong : Male chorus that sings fixed sung lines together often to reinforce formal sections.

Which style of gamelan should you write for

There are many regional gamelans. The two you will encounter most are Javanese and Balinese. They have different energy and different rules.

Javanese gamelan

Javanese gamelan is often stately, spacious, and meditative. Tempo is generally slower compared to Balinese. The music emphasizes deep gong punctuation and layered textures where elaborating instruments weave around the balungan. Use Javanese style for film cues that need a slow gravity or for ritual presentations.

Balinese gamelan

Balinese gamelan is bright, fast, and dramatic. It leans into loud dynamic contrast and virtuosic interlocking. If you want dazzling energy or an intense dance moment, Balinese gamelan gives you that. Kotekan plays a big role in creating high velocity lines.

Real life scenario

• You are writing a short piece for a campus ensemble that has 10 bronze instruments and two gongs. Choose Javanese if the group prefers slow interplay. Choose Balinese if the players love fast patterns and athletic drumming.

Instruments and their composing roles

Know who carries melody, who marks time, and who decorates. When you write, assign musical functions not just notes.

• Gong ageng : The largest gong. It marks the end of a cycle. Use it to show form. Think of it as the period at the end of a sentence.
• Kenong : A set of medium gongs that divide the cycle into larger segments. Kenong often gives the piece its phrase length.
• Kempul : Smaller hanging gongs. They mark sub divisions. Use them for light punctuation and to create forward motion.
• Bonang : Row of small kettle gongs that can play the balungan or elaborate around it. Bonang often holds melodic leadership in Javanese ensembles.
• Saron : Metallophone with a strong struck tone that can play balungan. It is often the skeletal voice carrying the melody.
• Gender : A thin keyed metallophone with resonant sustain. It plays florid elaboration lines and can be very virtuosic.
• Rebab : A bowed string instrument that can ornament the balungan with expressive microtones.
• Suling : Bamboo flute. It provides lyrical lines and ornaments often with breathy color.
• Kendang : Two headed drum. It directs tempo, signals transitions, and cues changes in dynamics and style.
• Sindhen and gerong : Vocalists that bring textual or emotional content. Sindhen improvises ornamentation. Gerong sings fixed lines as a chorus.

Scales and tuning practicalities

Tuning matters more than Western notation can capture. Bronze instruments are tuned as sets. If you borrow gamelan samples they are tuned to their original instruments. If you are building an ensemble you must accept that the scale will be unique and not equal tempered.

Slendro explained

Slendro uses five pitches per octave. The pitches are roughly evenly spaced. The ladder feels open and circular. In kepatihan notation you can map slendro to numbers 1 2 3 5 6 or other subsets depending on the gamelan. When you write in slendro think in tonal circles rather than major minor ideas.

Pelog explained

Pelog has seven tones but most pieces use a five tone subset like pelog pathet. Pelog contains both narrow and wide intervals which gives it greater color. You can choose pelog for a darker or more tension rich sound. When using pelog check which pathet or mode your ensemble prefers. Pathet means a particular subset of pelog with characteristic cadences.

Real life scenario

• Your DAW session uses tempered instruments. If you layer gamelan samples tuned in slendro or pelog with piano, you will hear beating and weirdness. Either retune your piano sample to match the gamelan or make the gamelan sit alone as the main texture. The odd beats can be musical but be intentional.

Core structural concept: Colotomic cycles

Gamelan music is cyclical. A colotomic cycle is the repeating time frame marked by specific instruments. The long form ends at the gong ageng stroke. Inside that cycle there are nested markers like kenong and kempul. These markers tell musicians where they are and what comes next.

Simple colotomic map example

Imagine a 16 beat cycle. You could mark it like this

• Beat 1 gong ageng and kenong together
• Beat 5 kenong
• Beat 9 kenong
• Beat 13 kenong
• Other beats receive ketuk or kempul punctuation

That pattern creates a sense of phrasing. When you write, decide the cycle length first. Common lengths are 8 16 or 32 beats in Javanese practice. Balinese cycles can be shorter and more elastic under tempo changes.

Step by step method to write a gamelan song

The method below goes from high concept to written lines to rehearsal rules. Follow it in order and you will save rehearsal time.

1 Choose your ensemble and style

Decide Javanese or Balinese or Sundanese. Decide if you will include vocals. Decide if you need percussion only or a full bronze ensemble. This choice changes tempo choices and expectations for ornamentation.

2 Select the scale and pathet

Pick slendro or pelog and then a pathet if you are using pelog. Write a quick scale map so all players know which subset of pitches you are using. Example in kepatihan for pelog pathet with numbers is helpful for teaching.

3 Decide the colotomic cycle and tempo

Pick a cycle length. Map out which beats are gong ageng kenong kempul and ketuk. Choose a tempo that suits the style and the skill level of your players. If players are learning fast interlocking parts start slower. You can speed up in rehearsal.

4 Write the balungan

Compose a core melody that fits your scale and cycle. Keep it singable. The balungan does not need to be crowded. Write it so the saron or bonang can play it cleanly. Use repetition with small variations. Mark where the balungan lands on colotomic points especially the gong ageng final.

Kepatihan example for a short balungan in pelog using numbers 1 2 3 5 6

5 3 2 .1 2 3 5 6
5 3 2 .1 2 3 5 6
3 2 .1 6 5 3 2 .1
5 6 5 3 2 .1 6 5

Note dot above a number means higher octave. Dot below means lower octave in kepatihan notation. Practice reading this with a saron player and adjust to the instruments tuning.

5 Assign colotomic punctuation

Write where gong ageng kenong kempul and ketuk hit relative to the balungan. Often the balungan will lead into these marks. If the gong ageng falls on a balungan note lengthen the final balungan note to create space.

6 Write elaborating parts

Now assign parts to bonang gender saron and rebab. There are two main approaches.

• Conservative approach : Keep bonang and saron close to the balungan with light ornamentation. Gender lines add simple arpeggios. This is safer for ensembles in training.
• Ambitious approach : Write long florid lines for gender and rebab and high velocity kotekan if Balinese. These parts interlock and must be rehearsed slowly then brought up to tempo.

Compose one elaborating line then extract motifs for other instruments so there is thematic unity. Remember that gamelan is about balance. Do not overcrowd the frequency range with multiple dense metalophone lines at the same pitch range.

7 Add kendang patterns and transitions

Kendang notes direct changes in tempo and style. Write drum cues for the head player. Typical cues include speeding up slowing down stopping for a drum solo or signaling the return to the gong. Notate drum phrases as a set of motives and vocal signals. If you can communicate the desired mood in words do so.

8 Add vocal lines if needed

If your song has lyrics decide whether they will be sung by a sindhen or a gerong. Sindhen improvises around the melody with ornate ornaments. Gerong sings fixed lines that often coincide with colotomic points. If you are writing sung text keep lines short and put important words on strong colotomic beats so the audience hears the message.

9 Rehearse with tuning adjustments

Because each ensemble set is unique you will need to make small melodic adjustments after the instruments are present. Instruments can be slightly retuned with mallet choices dampening and key position. Someone in the group must be responsible for tuning decisions and communicating changes to you as the composer.

10 Record and iterate

Record rehearsals. Listen for clashing harmonics and adjust parts to allow the ear to breathe. If a passage becomes muddy remove some instruments or thin the attack of those instruments. Fix balance before adding more complexity.

Notation and communication

If you are working with players who know kepatihan use it. If players read staff notation convert the balungan to staff but also give them an audio demo. Gamelan is learned by listening not only by reading. For interlocking kotekan provide separate parts labeled polos and sangsih. Polos is one interlocking pattern and sangsih is the complementary one. Using labels avoids confusion and speeds rehearsal.

Writing for modern fusion and electronic production

Gamelan textures are gold for contemporary producers. Here are safe ways to blend gamelan with modern elements.

• Respect the tuning : If you sample gamelan instruments keep their tuning. Either retune your synths or write parts that sit in different frequency zones. Do not force gamelan to match equal temperament unless you want the beating to be a clear aesthetic choice.
• Use gamelan as texture not just motif : Treat the metallophones as a rhythmic bed. Layer synth pads under the gong strikes and add a sub bass to give low end that the bronze lacks.
• Keep space for the gong ageng : In mixing leave a two or three second tail for large gongs to ring. Sidechain light elements to make room for the gong crashes. The decay of gongs is musical. Do not cut it off unless you want a special effect.
• Sample thoughtfully : When you chop gamelan loops for drums keep the colotomic cycle sense. If you loop only four beats you may ruin the sense of form. Use entire cycles as loop units, then cut intentionally.

Real life scenario

• You are producing a TikTok track. Record a full gamelan cycle then loop the first 8 beats as an intro. Use a sampled gong ageng as the drop marker at the chorus. Use a vocal line that repeats a single phrase on that gong so listeners can hum along. The result is authentically gamelan flavored and friendly to short form consumption.

Lyric writing and vocal placement

If you add words there are specific prosodic rules to follow. In gamelan the voice often floats above instruments. Place important syllables on strong colotomic beats. Keep lines short and include natural breathing points. Sindhen singing uses ornament and melisma. If you are not working with a traditional singer provide simplified lines with one clear melodic skeleton then allow ornamenting singers to add decorative inflections.

Five compositional techniques from practitioners

• Motif repetition with displacement : Repeat a motif but start it on different colotomic points. This creates variation without new material.
• Layered ostinatos : Build the piece from repeating patterns at different cycle lengths so the composite creates long form motion.
• Call and response : Use the rebab or suling to call and then answer with bonang fragments. This gives the music human conversational energy.
• Dynamic gating : Use the kendang to signal which instruments play dense elaboration and which stay quiet. Dynamics drive listener attention.
• Kotekan inspired texture : In Balinese influenced works write interlocking fast lines that only make sense when both parts are present. This creates shimmering intensity.

Exercises to write your first gamelan song in one day

1. Pick slendro or pelog and set tempo at a comfortable speed for your players.
2. Choose an 8 or 16 beat cycle and mark colotomic points for gong kenong kempul and ketuk.
3. Write a simple balungan of 8 phrases. Keep each phrase to two or four notes in the balungan skeleton. Sing it to yourself until it feels natural.
4. Notate the balungan in kepatihan numbers or staff notation then give it to the saron or bonang player.
5. Write a single elaborating line for gender or rebab that complements the balungan. Keep it repetitive and melodic.
6. Draft a kendang cue sheet with markers for changes. Practice the cycle at rehearsal tempo then expand complexity after three clean runs.

Do this once and you will have a functional gamelan song that you can polish over several rehearsals.

Mixing and recording tips

• Microphone bronze instruments close and ambient : Combine spot microphones on key instruments with ambient pair for room resonance. Bronze instruments produce rich overtones that benefit from air capture.
• Manage decay : Gongs have long decays that can muddy mixes. Use gentle high pass filtering on other instruments when gong hits happen so the mix remains clean.
• Record the kendang separately : The drum interacts physically with gongs. Record drum close and then place a subtle room mic to capture its connection to the metal instruments.
• Preserve natural tuning : Avoid pitch shifting audio aggressively. If tuning adjustments are needed prefer subtle time domain pitch correction on melodic lines rather than wholesale equal temperament forcing.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Too many competing elaborations : When every instrument tries to decorate the balungan the texture clogs. Fix by giving each instrument one clear motive per cycle.
• Forcing Western harmony : Do not try to impose triadic Western harmony. Gamelan works by horizontal layering and spectral interaction. If you need harmony think in parallel intervals and shared motifs not chords stacked like a pop song.
• Ignoring colotomic markers : Without clear gong placement the form collapses. Always map the cycle before adding ornament.
• Not accounting for tuning : Mixing gamelan with equal tempered instruments without retuning causes beating that can distract attention. Make an explicit tuning plan before production.

Case studies and creative prompts

Case study 1 Film cue for a dream sequence

Goal create a 90 second cue that feels ritual yet cinematic. Choose pelog for color. Use 16 beat cycle at slow tempo. Write a balungan that spans the cycle in long notes. Have rebab double the balungan with microtonal slides. Add a thin synth pad under kempul hits to add low frequency. Use sparse gong ageng strokes to close the cue. Result is cinematic but still recognizably gamelan.

Case study 2 Pop fusion single

Goal blend gamelan texture with a pop vocal hook. Choose slendro for open tonality. Sample a saron and keep its tuning. Build a two chord loop on synth that respects the gamelan pitches. Place the pop vocal so that its key matches the gamelan center or uses a separate register. Use the gong ageng as the chorus marker. Build a short post chorus where bonang plays an ostinato under a vocal chant. Keep production minimal to let the bronze shine.

Creative prompt

Write a 32 beat gamelan piece that starts in quiet and ends loud. Use three motifs only. Each motif appears first alone then layered. Use one dramatic gong ageng hit every eight beats. Record it on your phone and post the raw rehearsal video. You will learn tuning and balance quickly.

Teaching and rehearsal tips for songwriters

When you bring your composition to players you must be clear and humble. Gamelan players know their instruments better than you. Use these tips.

• Provide a lead sheet with balungan and colotomic map. Keep it short and legible.
• Play your demo at half tempo in rehearsals so players can lock their interlocking parts.
• Ask for one player to be the tuning liaison. They will adjust mallet position and damping to match your melodic needs.
• Listen in the room not only on headphones. Gamelan is room music. Your mix decisions must start with the space in which the instruments live.

FAQ

Can I write gamelan if I do not speak Indonesian

Yes. You can learn the musical rules without knowing the language. If you plan to include text hire a native speaker for accuracy and poetic sense. Keep vocal lines short and give singers freedom to ornament. When in doubt consult with a local practitioner.

Is it cultural appropriation to use gamelan in pop songs

Context matters. Using gamelan respectfully means learning enough about the style to avoid caricature crediting source musicians and, when possible, collaborating with practitioners rather than simply lifting samples. Treat gamelan as collaboration not as an effect.

How long does it take to compose a playable gamelan song

It depends on the complexity. A simple balungan with a few elaborations can be sketched in a day and rehearsed into shape in a few sessions. Complex Balinese kotekan heavy pieces take months to perfect. Start small and increase complexity with the ensemble skill.

Can I use gamelan samples and still have authenticity

Yes. High quality samples recorded on real instruments can be very useful. Authenticity increases with attention to tuning and colotomic cycles. Samples do not substitute for live dynamics but they can be staged thoughtfully for recordings and film work.

What notation should I learn for composing

Learn kepatihan numeric cipher for Javanese ensembles and staff notation for players who read Western scores. Most gamelan players learn by ear. Provide both notation types and always include an audio reference.

Action plan you can use today

1. Decide slendro or pelog and set a comfortable tempo. Play a reference scale to your ensemble or sample library.
2. Pick a cycle of 8 or 16 beats then mark where gong ageng kenong kempul and ketuk will land.
3. Write a four phrase balungan that fits the cycle. Keep it singable and repeatable.
4. Notate the balungan in kepatihan numbers or staff notes and hand it to a saron or bonang player.
5. Sketch a single elaborating line for one instrument and write a kendang cue sheet for transitions.
6. Record the first rehearsal, listen back, then remove any two instruments that fight for space. Simplicity improves clarity.