Learning to play the gamelan

Do you know what a gamelan is?

I didn't until a few weeks ago, but now I even know how to play it!

In 1987 the Southbank Centre in London was given a gamelan by the Indonesian government and they run taster sessions for people to have a go at learning how to play it.  So of course, when I found out about it, I booked us in!

Now, what is a gamelan?  I think the best way to describe it is as a percussion orchestra which about 20 people can play at once, and the whole thing is called a gamelan.  This link gives a really good description of all the different separate instruments and you can also see some videos etc. of what it should sound like.  We only learned to play a simple melody (2-3-2-3, 2-1-2-6) but it was hard enough!  Some of the instruments play the melody, and some play beats (like the drums or the gongs).

Here, Adrian's playing a slenthem, and as well as hitting the keys, you also have to then tamp down with your thumb on the key as soon as you play a new one (basically to stop the resonance of the previous note interfering with the new note).  It was tough!

Here you can see Sophie our teacher, and the kendang (double ended drums) with some other instruments.

 This is the kenong which was the first instrument I played.  You hit the top bobble bit when you play it.

Adrian's getting to grips with it!

And here's Alexandra in with the gongs (the big ones at the back which made an amazing wooh-o, wooh-o sound) and the kempuls (the smaller ones at the front).  You also hit the bobble bits on these ones.

This is Mazida, a friend from uni, in with the gongs and kempuls, and some other people on the sarons in front (those are the things that look like xylophones).

Alexandra's playing the gambang - it's quite high pitched and tough to get right!

And finally this was my last instrument - the gender - which was also part of the melody.

It was such a fun way to spend a couple of hours - if anyone's in London you should definitely try it!