Gong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Tamtam" redirects here. For other uses, see Tamtam (disambiguation) and Gong
(disambiguation).

A gong collection in a gamelan ensemble of instruments – Indonesian Embassy Canberra

An agung, a type of Philippine hanging gong used as part of the Kulintang ensemble

A gong (from Malay: gong; Chinese: 鑼; pinyin: luó; Japanese: 鑼

, translit. ra; Khmer: គង - Kong; Thai: ฆ้อง Khong; Vietnamese: cồng chiêng) is
an East and Southeast Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a
flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet. The gong traces its roots back to
the Bronze Age around 3500 BC. The term 'gong' traces its origins in Java and
scientific and archaeological research has established
that Burma, China, Java and Annam were the four main gong manufacturing centres
of the ancient world.[1] The gong later found its way into the Western World in the
18th century when it was also used in the percussion section of a Western-
style symphony orchestra.[2] A form of bronze cauldron gong known as a resting
bell was widely used in ancient Greece and Rome, for instance in the famous Oracle
of Dodona, where disc gongs were also used.[3][4]
Gongs broadly fall into one of three types: Suspended gongs are more or less flat,
circular discs of metal suspended vertically by means of a cord passed through
holes near to the top rim. Bossed or nipple gongs have a raised centre boss and
are often suspended and played horizontally. Bowl gongs are bowl-shaped and rest
 on cushions. They may be considered a member of the bell category. Gongs are
made mainly from bronze or brass but there are many other alloys in use.
Gongs produce two distinct types of sound. A gong with a substantially flat surface
vibrates in multiple modes, giving a "crash" rather than a tuned note. This category
of gong is sometimes called a tam-tam to distinguish it from the bossed gongs that
give a tuned note. In Indonesian gamelan ensembles, some bossed gongs are
deliberately made to generate in addition a beat note in the range from about 1 to
5 Hz. The use of the term "gong" for both these types of instrument is common.
Contents
[hide]

 1Types
 2Traditional suspended gongs
o 2.1Chau gong (Tam-tam)
 2.1.1Uses of gongs in the symphony orchestra
o 2.2Nipple gong
o 2.3Opera gongs
o 2.4Pasi gongs
o 2.5Tiger gong
o 2.6Shueng Kwong
o 2.7Wind gong
o 2.8Sculptural gongs
 3Other uses
 4Gong manufacturers
 5Gongs – general
 6Orchestral Usage
 7Signal gongs
o 7.1Shipping
o 7.2Railcar mounted
o 7.3Vehicle mounted
o 7.4Rail crossing
o 7.5Boxing (sport)
o 7.6Theater
o 7.7Time signal
 8Other uses
 9List of gongs
 10See also
 11References
 12Further reading
 13External links

Types[edit]
A Javanese-Balinese style gong, hanging in a frame

Suspended gongs are played with hammers and are of two main types: flat faced
discs either with or without a turned edge, and gongs with a raised centre boss. In
general, the larger the gong, the larger and softer the hammer. In Western
symphonic music, the flat faced gongs are generally referred to as tam-tams to
distinguish them from their bossed counterparts. Here, the term "gong" is reserved
for the bossed type only. The gong has been a Chinese instrument for millennia. Its
first use may have been to signal peasant workers in from the fields, because some
gongs are loud enough to be heard from up to 5 miles (8 km) away. In Japan, they
are traditionally used to start the beginning of sumo wrestling contests.
Large flat gongs may be 'primed' by lightly hitting them before the main stroke,
greatly enhancing the sound and causing the instrument to "speak" sooner, with a
shorter delay for the sound to "bloom". Keeping this priming stroke inaudible calls for
a great deal of skill. The smallest suspended gongs are played with bamboo sticks
or even western-style drumsticks. Contemporary and avant-garde music, where
different sounds are sought, will often use friction mallets (producing squeals and
harmonics), bass bows (producing long tones and high overtones), and various
striking implements (wood/plastic/metal) to produce the desired tones.
Rock gongs are large stones struck with smaller stones to create a metallic
resonating sound.

Traditional suspended gongs[edit]

Chau gong (Tam-tam)[edit]

The familiar "Chinese" gong (a 10-inch (25 cm) chau gong)

By far the most familiar to most Westerners is the chau gong or bullseye gong.
Large chau gongs, called tam-tams[5] have become part of the symphony orchestra.
Sometimes a chau gong is referred to as a Chinese gong, but in fact, it is only one of
many types of suspended gongs that are associated with China. A chau gong is
made of copper-based alloy, bronze, or brass. It is almost flat except for the rim,
which is turned up to make a shallow cylinder. On a 10-inch (25 cm) gong, for
example, the rim extends about 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) perpendicular to the surface. The
main surface is slightly concave when viewed from the direction to which the rim is
turned. The centre spot and rim of a chau gong are left coated on both sides with the
black copper oxide that forms during manufacture; the rest is polished to remove this
coating. Chau gongs range in size from 7 to 80 inches (18 to 203 cm) in diameter.
The earliest Chau gong is from a tomb discovered at the Guixian site in the Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It dates from the early Western Han Dynasty.
They were known for their very intense and spiritual drumming in rituals and tribal
meetings.[citation needed]Traditionally, chau gongs were used to clear the way for important
officials and processions, much like a police siren today. Sometimes the number of
strokes was used to indicate the seniority of the official. In this way, two officials
meeting unexpectedly on the road would know before the meeting which of them
should bow down before the other.
Uses of gongs in the symphony orchestra[edit]
The tam-tam was first introduced as an orchestral instrument by François-Joseph
Gossec in 1790, and it was also taken up by Gaspare Spontini and Jean-François
Le Sueur.[6]Hector Berlioz deployed the instrument throughout his compositional
career, and in his Treatise on Instrumentation he recommended its use "for scenes
of mourning or for the dramatic depiction of extreme horror."[6] Other composers who
adopted the tam-tam in the opera house included Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo
Bellini, and Richard Wagner;[7] Rossini in the final of act 3 of Armida (1817),[8] Bellini
in Norma (1831) and Wagner in Rienzi (1842). Within a few decades the tam-tam
became an important member of the percussion section of a modern symphony
orchestra. It figures prominently in the symphonies of Peter Ilyich
Tchaikovsky,[9] Gustav Mahler,[10] Dmitri Shostakovich[11] and, to a lesser
extent, Sergei Rachmaninov and Sergei Prokofiev. Giacomo Puccini used gongs
and tam-tams in his operas. Igor Stravinsky greatly expanded the playing techniques
of the tam-tam in his The Rite Of Spring to include short, quickly damped notes,
quick crescendos, and a triangle beater scraped across the front of the
instrument. Karlheinz Stockhausen used a 60" Paiste tam-tam in his Momente.
Nipple gong[edit]

A very large nipple gong at a Buddhist temple in Roi Et, Isan, Thailand

A nipple gong has a central raised boss or nipple, often made of a different metals
than other gongs with varying degrees of quality and resonance. They have a tone
with less shimmer than other gongs, and two distinct sounds depending on whether
they are struck on the boss or next to it. They are most often but not always tuned to
various pitches.
Nipple gongs range in size from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 cm) or larger. Sets of
smaller, tuned nipple gongs can be used to play a tune.
Nipple gongs are used in Chinese temples for worship.
In Indonesian gamelan ensembles, instruments that are organologically gongs come
in various sizes with different functions and different names. For example, in the
central Javanese gamelan, the largest gong is called gong ageng, ranges in size up
to 1 meter in diameter, has the deepest pitch and is played least often; the next
smaller gong is the gong suwukan or siyem, has a slightly higher pitch and replaces
the gong ageng in pieces where gong strokes are close together; the kempul is
smaller still, has a higher pitch, and is played more frequently. The gong ageng and
some gong suwukan have a beat note.
Opera gongs[edit]
An essential part of the orchestra for Chinese opera is a pair of gongs, the larger
with a descending tone, the smaller with a rising tone. The larger gong is used to
announce the entrance of major players and/or of men and to identify points of
drama and consequence. The smaller gong is used to announce the entry of lesser
players and/or of women and to identify points of humour.
Opera gongs range in size from 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 cm), with the larger of a pair
1 or 2 inches (3 or 5 cm) larger than the smaller.
Pasi gongs[edit]
A Pasi gong is a medium-size gong 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) in size, with a
crashing sound. It is used traditionally to announce the start of a performance, play
or magic. Construction varies, some having nipples and some not, so this type is
named more for its function than for its structure or even its sound.
Pasi gongs without nipples have found favour with adventurous middle-of-the-road
kit drummers.
Tiger gong[edit]
A tiger gong is a slightly descending or less commonly ascending gong, larger than
an opera gong and with a less pronounced pitch shift. Most commonly 15 inches
(38 cm) but available down to 8 inches (20 cm).
Shueng Kwong[edit]
A Shueng Kwong gong is a medium to large gong with a sharp staccato sound.
Wind gong[edit]
Wind gongs (also known as Feng or Lion Gongs) are flat bronze discs, with little
fundamental pitch, heavy tuned overtones, and long sustain. They are most
commonly made of B20 bronze, but can also be made of M63 brass or NS12 nickel-
silver. Traditionally, a wind gong is played with a large soft mallet, which gives it a
roaring crash to match their namesake. They are lathed on both sides and are
medium to large in size, typically 15 to 22 inches (38 to 56 cm) but sizes from 7 to
60 inches (18 to 152 cm) are available. The 22-inch (56 cm) size is most popular
due to its portability and large sound.
They are commonly used by drummers in rock music. Played with a nylon
tip drumstick they sound rather like the coil chimes in a mantle clock. Some have
holes in the centre, but they are mounted like all suspended gongs by other holes
near the rim. The smaller sizes, 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 cm), have a more bell-like
tone due to their thickness and small diameter.
Sculptural gongs[edit]

Sculptural gong made by Steve Hubback

Sculptural gongs (also known as Gong Sculptures) are gongs which serve the dual
purpose of being a musical instrument and a work of visual art. They are generally
not disc shaped, but instead take more complex, even abstract forms. Sculptural
gongs were pioneered in the early 1990s by Welsh percussionist and metal crafter,
Steve Hubback, who was partially inspired by the work of the French Sound
Sculptors, Francois and Bernard Baschet.
Hubback's works have been used by many musicians including solo
percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and rock drummer Carl Palmer.
English gong and cymbal maker, Matt Nolan, partially inspired by the work of
Hubback, also creates sculptural gongs of his own design or to private commission.

Other uses[edit]
In older Javanese usage and in modern Balinese usage, gong is used to identify an
ensemble of instruments. In contemporary central Javanese usage, the
term gamelan is preferred and the term gong is reserved for the gong ageng, the
largest instrument of the type, or for surrogate instruments such as the
gong komodong or gong bumbu (blown gong) which fill the same musical function in
ensembles lacking the large gong. In Balinese usage, gong refers to Gamelan Gong
Kebyar.
Gong manufacturers[edit]
Besides many traditional and centuries old manufacturers in places such
as China, Tibet, Burma, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines, gongs have also
been made in Europe and America since the 20th century.
Paiste is the largest non-Asian manufacturer of gongs. This Swiss company
of Estonian lineage makes gongs at their German factory. Also in
Germany, Meinl have gongs made for them by former Paiste employee, Broder
Oetken, who also has his own branded range of gongs. Italian company UFIP make
a range of gongs at their factory in Pistoia. Michael Paiste, outside of the larger
family business makes gongs independently in Lucerne, [Switzerland]. Other
independent gong manufacturers in Europe include Welshman Steve Hubback
currently based in the Netherlands, Matt Nolan in the UK, Joao Pais-Filipe in
Portugal and a new manufacturer in Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, UK is Michal Milas.
He comes from Poland and started making gongs in 2010 but from 2015 specializes
in making his bespoke spectacular Art Gongs. [12]
In North America, Sabian make a small number of gongs and Zildjian sell Zildjian-
branded gongs which have in the past been made by Zildjian, but current production
looks to be Chinese in origin. Ryan Shelledy is an independent gong maker based in
the Midwestern United States.[13]
Some of the smaller Turkish cymbal companies have also been seen to dabble in
gongs but very much as a sideline to their core business of hand-
hammered cymbals.

Gongs – general[edit]
Gongs vary in diameter from about 20 to 60 inches (50 to 150 cm). They are made
of a bronze alloy composed of a maximum of 22 parts tin to 78 parts copper, but in
many cases the proportion of tin is considerably less. This alloy is excessively brittle
when cast and allowed to cool slowly, but it can be tempered and annealed in a
peculiar manner to alleviate this. When suddenly cooled from red heat, the alloy
becomes so soft that it can be hammered and worked on the lathe then hardened by
reheating. Afterwords, the gong has all of the qualities and timbre of the Chinese
instruments. The composition of the alloy of bronze used for making gongs is stated
to be as follows: 76.52% Cu, 22.43% Sn, 0.26% Pb, 0.23% Zn, 0.81% Fe. In Turkish
Cymbal making there is also sulfur and silicon in the alloy.
Turkish Cymbals and Gamelan Gongs share beta phase bronze as a metallurgical
roots. Tin and copper mix phase transition graphs show a very narrow up-down
triangle at 21–24% tin content and 780 °C (1,440 °F) symbolized by tail B. This is
the secret of all past bronze instrument making. When bronze is mixed and heated,
it glows orange-red which indicates it has been heated to the beta phase borders
where the metal needs to be submerged in cold water to lock the alloy in the beta
phase for cymbal making. The gong is then beaten with a round, hard, leather-
covered pad that is fitted on a short stick or handle. It emits a peculiarly sonorous
sound which can be varied by particular ways of striking the disk. Its complex
vibrations burst into a wave-like succession of tones that can be either shrill or deep.
In China and Japan gongs are used in religious ceremonies, state processions,
marriages and other festivals.

Orchestral Usage[edit]
The gong has been used in the orchestra to intensify the impression of fear and
horror in melodramatic scenes. The tam-tam was first introduced into a western
orchestra by François Joseph Gossec in the funeral march composed at the death
of Mirabeau in 1791. Gaspare Spontini used the tam-tam in La Vestale's (1807) Act
II finale. Berlioz called for 4 tam-tams in his Requiem of 1837. The tam-tam was also
used in the funeral music played when the remains of Napoleon were brought back
to France in 1840. Meyerbeer made use of the instrument in the scene of the
resurrection of the three nuns in Robert le diable. Four tam-tams are used
at Bayreuth in Parsifal to reinforce the bell instruments although there is no
indication given in the score. In more modern music, the tam-tam has been used by
composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen in Mikrophonie I (1964–65) and
by George Crumb. in Makrokosmos III: Music For A Summer Evening(1974), Crumb
expanded the timbral range of the tam-tam by giving performance directions such as
using a "well-rosined contrabass bow" to bow the tam-tam. This produced an eerie
harmonic sound. Stockhausen created more interesting sounds using hand-held
microphones and a wide range of scraping, tapping, rubbing, and beating
techniques with unconventional implements such as plastic dishes, egg timers, and
cardboard tubes. Gongs can also be immersed into a tub of water after being struck.
This is called "water gong" and is called for in several orchestral pieces.

Signal gongs[edit]
Gongs are also used as signal devices in a number of applications.
Shipping[edit]
A vessel over 100 metres (330 ft) in length must carry a gong in addition to a bell
and whistle, the volume of which is defined in the International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea.[14][15] A vessel at anchor or aground sounds the gong in
the stern immediately after ringing a bell in her bows so as to indicate her length.[16]
Railcar mounted[edit]
Gongs are present on rail vehicles, such as trams, streetcars, cable cars or light
rail trains, in the form of a bowl-shaped signal bell typically mounted on the front of
the leading car. It was designed to be sounded to act as a warning in areas where
whistles and horns are prohibited, and the "clang of the trolley" refers to this sound.
Traditionally, the gong was operated by a foot pedal, but is nowadays controlled by
a button mounted on the driving panel. Early trams had a smaller gong with a bell
pull mounted by the rear door of these railcars. This was operated by
the conductor to notify the motorman that it is safe to proceed.
Vehicle mounted[edit]
In the Commonwealth, emergency vehicles were fitted with electric, manual, or
vacuum operated Winkworth bell gongs in the time before Martin's horns became
available or rotary sirens came into use.
Rail crossing[edit]
A railroad crossing with a flashing traffic signal or wigwag will also typically have a
warning bell. Electromechanical bells, known in some places as a gong, are struck
by an electric-powered hammer to audibly warn motorists and pedestrians of an
oncoming train. Many railroad crossing gongs are now being replaced by electronic
devices with no moving parts.
Boxing (sport)[edit]
A bowl-shaped, center mounted, electrically controlled gong is standard equipment
in a boxing ring. Commonly referred to as "the gong", it is struck with a hammer to
signal the start and end of each round.
Theater[edit]
Electromechanical, electromagnetic or electronic devices producing the sound of
gongs have been installed in theatres (particularly those in the Czech Republic) to
gather the audience from the lounge to the auditorium before the show begins or
proceeds after interlude.[17][18][19]
Time signal[edit]
German radio stations use a gong sound for the time signal.[citation needed]

Other uses[edit]
An altar gong and mallet, used as an alternative to the altar bell in some churches (especially within Anglo-
Catholicism).

Gongs have been used in upper class households as waking devices, or sometimes
to summon domestic help. Gongs were used in more homes to call the household to
a meal.
In the British and Australian military, "gong" is slang for a medal.
In some churches, particularly in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, a large (and
sometimes decorated) gong may be used during the celebration of mass as an
alternative to the altar bell.[20]
In popular music, there was the multi-national psychedelic jazz-rock band Gong led
by Australian musician/poet Daevid Allen. Marc Bolanand T. Rex had a hit song on
their album Electric Warrior called "Get It On (Bang a Gong)". Queen's classic song
"Bohemian Rhapsody" ends with the sound of a massive tam-tam. Roger Taylor is
known for having one of the biggest tam-tams in rock.[21]
In television, a gong was the titular feature on The Gong Show, a television variety
show/game show spoof broadcast in the United States in three iterations (1976–80,
1988–89, 2008). If the celebrity judges found an act to be particularly bad, they
could force it to leave the stage by hitting the gong.
In films, a man hitting a gong twice starts all Rank films. This iconic figure is known
as the "gongman". The tam-tam sound was actually provided by James Blades
OBE, the premier percussionist of his day (who also provided the "V for victory"
drum signal broadcast during World War II).
The "sun gong" used in the annual Paul Winter Winter Solstice Celebration held at
the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York is claimed to be the world's largest
tam tam gong at 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter. (See the text for #1 image [1])
List of gongs[edit]

Gandingan

 Agung
 Babendil
 Bonang
 Gandingan
 Gong ageng
 Gungsa
 Kempul
 Kempyang and ketuk
 Kenong
 Khong mon
 Kulintang
 chau gong
 rin gong
 Umpan

See also[edit]
 Space of Gong culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam
 Dong Son drum

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Blades, James (1992). Percussion Instruments and Their History. Bold Strummer Ltd.
p. 93. ISBN 978-0933224612.
 2. Jump up^ "Gongs Catalog" (PDF). Paiste.
3. Jump up^ Montagu, Jeremy (2007). Origins and Development of Musical Instruments. Scarecrow
Press. p. 16–17. ISBN 9780810856578.
4. Jump up^ Cook, Arthur Bernard (1902). "The Gong at Dodona". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 22:
5–28.
5. Jump up^ Morris Goldberg in his Modern School... Guide for The Artist Percussionist (Chappell &
Co., Inc., New York, New York, 1955), says that "in modern symphony orchestra
names gong and tam-tam mean the same thing, that in scholarly circles, tam-tam is considered to be
a slang expression taken from an African word meaning drum", later associated with gongs of
indefinite pitch, and as such was adopted by virtually all composers using the term and thus is used
now interchangeably.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b Macdonald, Hugh (2002). Berlioz's Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and
Commentary. Cambridge Musical Texts and Monographs. Cambridge University Press.
p. 286. ISBN 978-1-139-43300-6.
7. Jump up^ Although in modern, 20th century and beyond, performances sometimes conductors were
adapting tam-tam in orchestra for the performances of Gluck's Alceste and Orfeo ed Euridice (as ones
used in the Metropolitan Opera historical productions), there is no trace of it in original scores of Gluck
himself, so it must be considered an effect additions rather than the wish of the composer himself.
8. Jump up^ "Instrumentation used in ''Armida'' by Rossini". Humanities.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2013-
07-11.
9. Jump up^ Sympony No.6
10. Jump up^ Symphony No.6 and Das Lied von der Erde
11. Jump up^ Symphony No.4, No.8, No.10. No.11, and No.13
12. Jump up^ http://artgongs.com/#!site/art-gongs-blog/art-gongs-blog.asp?aid=
13. Jump up^ http://www.gongs-unlimited.com/ryshgo.html
14. Jump up^ International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Wikisource. 1972. Rule 33.
15. Jump up^ International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Wikisource. 1972. Annexe III.
16. Jump up^ International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Wikisource. 1972. Rule 35.
17. Jump up^ "Palantir". Sfkpalantir.net. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
18. Jump up^ "Webmagazín Rozhledna .::. nezávislý kulturně-společenský deník". Webmagazin.cz.
2001-10-29. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
19. Jump up^ "Město Rumburk – oficiální stránky města". Rn.rumburk.cz. 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2013-
07-11.
20. Jump up^ See "Other items of note" (final paragraph) at Art & Devotion, St Gabriel's Church, North
Acton, London.
21. Jump up^ "Grahamdaviesarizonabay.com". Grahamdaviesarizonabay.com. Archived from the
original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2013-07-11.

Further reading[edit]
 Luobowan Han Dynasty Tombs in Guixian County (Guangxi Zuang A. R.), by the
Museum of the Guangxi Zhuang Nationality (1988, Beijing)
 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gong". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press.