Gong project-Group 2
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
THE GONG
BY: ANNA SHAH
WHAT IS THE GONG?
Photo by fabiogis50
A gong is a thick metal disc hanging on a support frame. It is a member of the percussion family and can reverberate for up to 3 minutes!
WHEN WAS THE GONG INVENTED?
Photo by Mathers Museum of World Cultures
Nobody knows when the gong was really invented, but we know that it was used in 6th century China and in 1st or 2nd century Rome.
There are different types of gongs, many of which can be found in Asia. Flat gongs can be found in South and East Asia, while the knobbed gongs can be found in Southeast Asia. Flat gongs are used in the Northern region of the Philippines and are struck by hand like a drum. In the Southern region of the Philippines, they use a rack of tuned, knobbed gongs.
When you strike the gong with a mallet, the metal plate on the gong vibrates, creating it's sound. Mallets are a type of striker that the musician uses to produce the instrument's sound. The gong vibrates most at it's center and least at it's rim. That's why the holes (to attach it to the support structure) are at the rim; to least affect the sound.
GONG MALLETS
More on mallets...
Mallets have heads which are usually covered with cloth or yarn. The size of the gong determines which type of mallet the musician uses. When the size of the gong increases, so does the mallet size. The larger the mallet, the lower the tone and the smaller the mallet, the higher the tone. Different mallets produce different tones and timbre. Gongs are usually played with one mallet, but playing with 2 can be fun and also effective for sound-healing.
THE GONG'S TIMBRE
The timbre of the gong is rich, grand, healing, and sometimes alarming. The gong reverberates making the sound longer, this can be compared taking deep breaths when meditating. The Vienna Symphonic Library describes it's timbre as metallic, shrill, lustrous, soughing, majestic, and threatening.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MUSICIAN
He/she must be strong in order for the gong to reverberate for long enough. If you are shorter, then it will be easier to strike the gong; you won't have to bend over as much.
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Today it is made of hammered sheet bronze or cast bronze using special alloy. When it was first made, it was made from metal. As you can see, the size has also increased. Now to create the proper sound in an orchestra, it must be at least 70 centimeters in diameter.
PURPOSE
Photo by Georgie Sharp
Nowadays, it is used to provide rhythm and character to the orchestra. Before, it was used for religious worship, ceremonies, and funeral marches. In fact, the gong wasn't introduced into the orchestra until the end of the 18th century in Francois Joseph Gossec's funeral march in Mirabeau (1791). Until the end of the 19th century, it provided effects for important queues, such as those seen in funeral marches. At the beginning of the 20th century, the gong found itself as a "true orchestra instrument". It's task was to give the orchestra a darker timbre. Finally, today it is also used as a natural portal to relaxation.
THE END!
Photo by kevin dooley
