Gong: China musical instrument

A gong is an East and South Asian percussion musical instrument that takes the form of a flat disc that is hit with the use of a mallet.

source: fr.wikipedia.org

Gongs are generally of three types. The suspended gongs are more or less flat, circular disc metal that is suspended vertically by means of a chord that is passed through holes near the top rim of the instrument. Bossed gongs or nipple gongs have raised center boss and are often suspended and performed in a horizontal form. Bowl gongs are of bowl-shape; they rest on cushion and belong to bells than gongs. Gongs are made primarily from bronze or brass, although there are many other alloys that are being used.

This musical instrument manufactures two different types of sound. The version of the instrument with a substantially flat surface vibrates in multiple modes, providing a crash note instead of a tuned note. This category of musical instrument is sometimes referred to as ‘tam-tam’ to differentiate it from the bossed version of the instrument that produces a tuned note.

The suspended version of the gong can be performed with hammers and are of two prime types; the flat faced discs either with tuned edge or without tuned edge, and the gong with raised centre boss. In general understanding, the larger the musical instrument the larger and softer the hammer that is used in the playing of the instrument.

A nipple gong has a central raised boss that is usually produced of a different metal to the rest of the gong. They have a clear resonant timbre with less shimmer that any other gongs and two different sounds are produced from it depending on whether the instruments are struck on the boss or next to the nipple. They most commonly are tuned to different pitches. Boss gongs range in size from about 6 inches to 14 inches or higher. Sets of smaller tuned version of this nipple gongs can be used to perform a tune. This version of the musical instrument is mainly used in Chinese temple for worship.

An essential part of the orchestra for the opera of china is a pair of gongs; the larger gong with a descending tone and the smaller version of the instrument with a rising tone. The larger version of the musical instrument is used to announce the entrance of the major players of the instrument, of men and to identify points of drama and consequence. The smaller version of the musical instrument is used in the announcement of the entry of lesser players of the instrument, of women and to identify points of humour. The size opera gong can range from 7 inches to 12 inches; the larger of a pair 1 nor 2 inches larger than the smaller version of the musical instrument.

In older Javanese usage and in the contemporary Balinese usage of the musical instrument, the instrument is used to identify an ensemble of musical instruments. In the modern day Javanese usage, the term gamelan is preferred and the term gong is kept for the gong ageng, the largest musical instrument of the type or for surrogate instrument like the gong komodong, or gong bumbu that fill the same musical activity in ensembles missing the large version of the musical instrument. In the usage of the instrument in Balinese, the gong refers to gamelan gong kebyar.

The gong has been used in many popular cultures in the upper class household as working devices or to summon domestic help. The space rock band gong assumed their name from the musical instrument.