Working with Gongs #2: A Guide to Gong Types

A look at some of the various Gong types, both Flat Faced & Bossed.

[@ittichaikhummon5407]

Thank you so much for testing gong each a type because I working on this physics project.

[@PeterAlanA1234567890]

I really appreciated the small one at the end, the sound was so amazing..

[@Gongtopia]

I appreciate all the comments. As far as mallet choice, I'm not playing any 'traditional' Gong music. I play my own compositions/improvisations based on the ideas & techniques I have learned over the years. I'm an improvisor/experimenter, both as a player and a composer, so I'm very interested in 'sounds,' and how to produce different sounds. Mallet choice is a big part of this. Different mallets can bring out different sounds. Add to that, different playing techniques, and you have a Universe of sound possibilities. I urge everyone to explore and discover the sounds & techniques that work for you and your music. There are no rules! "Art is a sort of experimental station in which one tries out living." - John Cage

[@gongtopia7336]

MrMonsterman32 I didn't 'forget 'the Agung. I don't have one at this time, so I didn't mention it.

[@kifer2594]

You forgot to bang that big gong behind you

[@Yogi-Buddha-zEns0_37.69]

I dig improvising/experimenting in the sound ocean too, but not having the money or access to gongs, I was blind to this world of gong textures. Your vids are amazingly instructive; you break down the essential information for whatever musical direction - and so I just want to say many thanks! ☮💟🕉 I am acquiring my first gongs to augment the drums and percussion going on around me. Thank you for helping me with the organology of the most interesting of the musical perks 🤩🎆

[@jonathanlundquist5845]

Thank you so much for enriching my imagination and understanding of these beautiful instruments. It is a marvel of our modern world that we can see a whole planet's worth of variety so easily. Such gorgeous sounds. Thanks again!

[@Gongtopia]

+Jonathan Lundquist Thanks so much for your interest and your comment! MB

[@MortonLuvz2drum]

Tam Tam?

[@philstephens4180]

That was amazing. I have so much new found gong knowledge.

[@Gongtopia]

Thanks! I made these videos to share what I know. These are the types of things I talk about and demonstrate in my workshops. I will be adding some new videos in the near future.

[@dr.doppeldecker3832]

Best video on Gongs i have seen on KZbin! Very informative! Thank you very much:)

[@Gongtopia]

Thanks you. I'm glad you liked it. Since this one is 10 years old now, I'm working on a whole new series. Check back in the new year for a lot more videos.

[@68PieceDrumKit]

Very informative, love your videos. Marty

[@kajsanikulasdotter5967]

Thanks. I'm thinking of buying a gong for our garden and this really helps me understand the styles and their sounds.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Kajsa Nikulasdotter but leaving it outside would corrode it and destroy the tonality:(((

[@brownie3454]

why would you do that to your neighbors

[@natheniel]

It is called the wind gong as the sound grows very very significantly.

[@reinerwilhelms-tricarico344]

What about the big one? I was hoping the whole time you would play it in the end but you never did! Never mind. Turns out you have a whole separate series about the big ones. Excellent!

[@jamesdailey6796]

How much is an 80" Zildjian gong $ ?

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I'm a singing drummer, into singing crystal and bronze bowls. Yet to be disappointed with either Sabian or Paiste anything. ALWAYS worth the $$$. I'd recommend Vic's Drum shop.out of Chicago. When you're talking about potentially thousands of dollars for a very large, high end piece, you should go try it personally. Buying online without seeing it is insane :) I really liked the bronze bossed one. I'm a sucker for shiny stuff you hit with sticks. And funky overtones. Very into the Vistalites for that reason, lol.

[@rb032682]

Cool stuff.

[@ValCronin]

Excellent presentation.

[@georgewillems32]

I would use it as a doorbell!

[@SanjivKumar-mm4he]

🌺👌👌🌺

[@chir401]

Thank you so much for your time and effort in making this video. You're so knowledgeable and we're all so grateful for your help. What gong would you recommend for a deep, dramatic, stormy sound with lots of resonance? I'd like something 20-30". I'm considering a Zildjian, but would love to hear of any better suggestions. Thank you!

[@Gongtopia]

That's a difficult question to answer. For a 'deep, dramatic, stormy sound with lots of resonance,' I'd recommend a Paiste Sound Creation # 3 Earth Gong in either 26" or 32" size. This is a very dark, earthy, mysterious Gong. Other ones would be a large Chinese Wind Gong or a Chau. You'd have to try out various ones to find something that fits the sound in your head. So this is a good starting point, but listen to a lot of Gongs or sound samples to zero in on what you are looking for. Remember, to get 'deep, dramatic, stormy' you need a larger Gong. 20" won't get you there. 30" and above will. Thanks for the question!

[@chir401]

Great points. I think I'll get the 32" Paiste Sound Creation # 3 Earth Gong. Thank you again!

[@XeniaStCharlesIrisLlyllyth]

I tried searching for the Tibetan disc gong, but I was unable to find anything about it. Do you know where I could find more information about this type of gong, or if there's some other name for it?

[@Gongtopia]

Weston Gilbert I'm not sure of the actual name, but I have found them on Ebay and at music stores described as being a "Tibetan Disc Gong,' "Tibetan Bell Gong," or just "Tibetan Gong." They're actually made in India or Pakistan. Just do a web search for "Tibetan Gong" and you should find something. My friend Andrew, at Gongs Unlimited, has them: www.gongs-unlimited.com/8intigo.html

[@dragoezcurra]

It's 360 Resolution Gong Master Sir. We don't see the hammer marks, we can't tell where your corneas end and begins the iris.

[@natheniel]

And you usually dont hit the opera gong with a mallet, but the side of a piece of thin wood which we call the 鑼片, or a 'gong splint' (not official translation).

[@gongtopia7336]

Yes, you are quite right. In traditional Chinese music, the Opera Gong is held by the fingers and played with a flat wooden stick. But I don't play any traditional Chinese music. Instead, I play contemporary music which uses different and/or unorthodox techniques. So I play my Gongs with whatever produces the sound I'm after. I use yarn/cord mallets as shown, but also felt mallets, knitting needles, and wooden sticks of various types. Thanks for your contribution! ~ MB

[@debbiejacob5039]

Do I need to have 2 hooks to hang the gong from? Why 2 verses 1 hook?

[@Gongtopia]

Debbie Jacob: You can hang a Gong with one hook, but then it will not be stable and can spin around or hit the stand. Two hooks will hold it steady. MB

[@peterteaches]

I tutor children and am looking for a portable gong I can take around to get us into a meditative state, with a rather lovely tone like the last one. Does anyone know where I might get one? (i’m in london)

[@Gongtopia]

The last one in the video is a one off hand made gong by Steve Hubback. A good source for gongs in the UK is: www.soundtravels.co.uk. They carry a wide variety of gongs, as well as bowls & bells.

[@user-xd8ev3uu7x]

Sir can you make a video about the parts of gong

[@Gongtopia]

Osamu, that sounds like a good idea. I will do something like that with the different types of gongs I have. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@user-xd8ev3uu7x]

@@Gongtopia thank youuu

[@user-xd8ev3uu7x]

@@Gongtopia do you have any names for the surface around the boss of the gong? also the rim on its sides?

[@susanbaigent2967]

Hello there i was just wondering are you self taught ? x

[@Gongtopia]

+Susan Baigent I'm a trained percussionist, having studied in high school, university, and privately, but but most of my Gong knowledge has come from 40+ years of exploration and interviewing others. It's a never ending journey…

[@rvc6506]

I was taught that the 1st instruments shown are called tam-tams. What gives?

[@shiningarmor2838]

A tam tam is any gong with a flat face

[@Gongtopia]

There are many, many types of 'flat faced' Gongs in the world, and they are all different sounding. 'Tam tam' is a term used in orchestral music to denote a flat faced Gong, most often a Chinese Chau type, as opposed to a bossed Gong (like in Puccini's operas, 'Madame Butterfly' or 'Turandot.'). If the score calls for a different type of 'flat faced' Gong, the composer will usually indicate it, i.e. 'play a Feng/Wind Gong.'

[@sergiovidal8208]

Uuuuuuuuuuooewws