GAMELAN is the name for a mostly percussion-based ensemble type found on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali off the north-west coast of Australia. This ensemble is both rhythm and melody based due to the presence of MEMBRANOPHONES (members of the drum family of instruments) and IDIOPHONES (instruments that produce a pitch when struck – such as the xylophone and gong). The idiophones in Gamelan are further classified into the subfamily of METALLOPHONES meaning that all the melodic keyboard instruments are made of metal. The ensembles do not have set instrumentation and may include instruments of other families such as strings, flutes, and singers. Depending on the style, the ensemble size ranges from 4-50 performers with most ensembles consisting of 20-30 individuals.
Source: Gamelan — Kaitlin Bove Music