gamelan

American  

[gam-uh-lan, -luhn] / ˈgæm əˌlæn, -lən /

Also gamelin

noun

1. an Indonesian orchestra consisting of bowed stringed instruments, flutes, and a great variety of percussion instruments.

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gamelan British  

/ ˈɡæmɪˌlæn /

noun

1. a type of percussion orchestra common in the East Indies

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Etymology

Origin of gamelan

1810–20; < Javanese, equivalent to gamel song accompanied by a gamelan + -an nominalizing suffix

Example Sentences

In particular, they studied the 'bonang', an instrument from the Javanese gamelan built from a collection of small gongs.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2024

Their December concert will feature Balinese gamelan, and in May, film and chamber music will combine to explore the connection between mothers and their children.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023

Western audiences would likely experience a learning curve with sonifications that employ, say, the sound of a Javanese gamelan, but a framework that contains such options can flex and adapt to the data’s needs.

From Scientific American • Jan. 5, 2023

This Balinese composer combines two different gamelan scales in his latest project.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2022

The average American, for example, can distinguish easily between the verses and refrain of any pop song, but will have trouble recognizing what is going on in a piece of music for Balinese gamelan.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones