Flutes

• Flutes are the most popular wind instruments in Indonesian music. One popular type is the seruling, which is traditionally made of bamboo. The number of holes in a seruling varies, depending on the flute. Serulings come in three shapes, all with different names: salung, bangsi and puput. The pan flute, which also is made from bamboo, is also popular in Indonesia.
  
  

Drums

• A wide variety of Indonesian drums are made of wood and leather and are meant to be played with one hand. Batik drums have a curved bottom. Ocean drums have small metal balls on the inside to create sounds like the ocean. Baya drums are made from goatskin. Baul drums can play two tones, thanks to a spot in the center made from rice paste and iron dust. There are also djembe drums, which are taller and goblet-shaped.
  
  

Strings

• A sasando is the most popular Indonesian stringed instrument. Traditionally made of bamboo and woven palm leaves, it is wedge-shaped and has 28 strings. Sasandos are made to be played with both hands, with the right hand playing the chords and the left hand playing the melody. They sound similar to a guitar. The rebab is a stringed instrument made of wood with a pear-shaped body. The spiked rebab has a spike at the bottom so musicians can stand it up when playing it. It resembles a fiddle or violin.
  
  

Gongs

• Many types of gongs are used in Indonesian music. There are suspended gongs, horizontal gongs, hand-held gongs and gongs that are on a rack. All gongs have bass tones, treble tones and middle tones. Gong making is considered a sacred craft that is passed down within families. When an Indonesian dies, a gong is hit three times to indicate a person's entrance into the spiritual world. Gongs are now found in orchestras around the world.