Mekar Bhuana Gamelan and Dance Centre

I have hear some gamelan music before and fell in love with the beautiful percussion sounds. It is a relief from mainstream pop music. I highly recommend taking a private lesson to get to see these beautiful instruments up close, and learn more about the history of the gamelan.

An excellent institution offering lessons on Balinese gamelan and dance in Sanur. I participated in a private all-day workshop (booked and paid for swiftly and safely via e-mail from abroad before arriving in Bali). The workshop was split into two sessions: a morning session providing general background on the types of Balinese gamelan and evolution of the ensemble throughout history, which was very informative and accompanied by live demonstrations of the instruments by a local staff member, Purnama. Every question I had throughout the presentation was answered thoughtfully by founder Vaughan (via Zoom call, as he was abroad at the time). I think this sort of insight into the instruments and musical genre is just as important as the actual playing techniques.

The second session was a practical session run by Purnama where I was given free rein to try and be guided on any number of instruments they had set out. Honestly a great and fun experience for any musician and the ability to find an instrument whose sound suits you and that you'd like to learn more on will appeal to a general audience as well. The instruction was clear and supportive for doing the sampler and we were able to put together some simple phrases on the instrument I chose by the end of the session.

I suppose if there were anything to note, it was a bit far from me in Ubud and tucked away from the main road so it can be hard to find, but this ensures a quiet environment (save for the music you will be making, of course). When I got dropped off, the driver had mentioned that there were so many good classes in Ubud for gamelan and that this one was quite far, but I don't imagine they go as in-depth as Mekhar Bhuana. If you are interested in a deeper understanding of this key part of Balinese culture, I'd say the trip from anywhere is worth it. I'll certainly be back next time I'm in Bali.

Thanks, MB!

A great place to learn traditional Balinese Gamelan and Dance. The instructors are some of the best on the island! Super knowledgeable, supportive and inspiring. Also a great place to meet other visiting gamelan aficionados. I try and visit every time I'm in Bali. Highly recommended)

We had a 4 hour workshop for two people which was expensive but worth it, satisfied a lot of curiosity about gamelan music and left us hungry for more. Vaughan is a cool guy who knows everything about gamelan and Pur gave us hands on instruction on all the instruments. We also had delicious home made lunch.

A good place to learn Balinese Classic gamelan (a.k. A. Selonding). The instructors are very friendly and patience to teach us