Agong[note 1]is apercussioninstrument originating inEast AsiaandSoutheast Asia.A gong is a flat, circular metal disc that is typically struck with a mallet. They can be small or large in size, and tuned or can require tuning.
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The earliest possible depictions of gongs is from the details on the surface of theNgọc Lũ Ibronze drum(c. 3rd to 2nd century BC) from theDong Son cultureof northernVietnam.It depicts what looks like seven-gong ensembles along with other instruments (including cymbals/bells and the bronze drums themselves).[1]The oldest undisputed historical mention of gongs can be found in sixth century AD Chinese records, which mentioned it as a foreign instrument that came from a country between Tibet and Burma. The termgong(Javanese:ꦒꦺꦴꦁ) originated in theIndonesian islandofJava.Scientific and archaeological research has established thatBurma,China,JavaandAnnamwere the four main gong manufacturing centres of the ancient world.[2][3]The gong found its way into the Western World in the 18th century, when it was also used in the percussion section of a Western-stylesymphony orchestra.[4]A form of bronze cauldron gong known as aresting bellwas widely used in ancient Greece and Rome: for instance in the famous Oracle ofDodona,where disc gongs were also used.[5][6]
Gongs generally fall into three types:Suspended gongsare more or less flat, circular discs of metal suspended vertically by means of a cord passed through holes near to the top rim.Bossedornipple gongshave a raised centre Boss or knob and are often suspended and played horizontally.Bowl gongsare bowl-shaped and rest on cushions. The latter may be considered a member of thebellcategory. Gongs are made mainly frombronzeorbrass,though there are many otheralloysin 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 atam-tam,to distinguish it from the Boss ed gongs that give a tuned note. In Indonesian gamelan ensembles, some Boss ed gongs are deliberately made to generate an additionalbeat notein the range from about 1 to 5 Hz. The use of the term "gong" for both these types of instrument is common.
Types
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Suspended gongsare 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 Boss ed counterparts. Here, the term "gong" is reserved for the Boss ed 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.
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 gongsare large stones struck with smaller stones to create a metallic resonating sound.
Traditional suspended gongs
editChau gong (tam-tam)
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By far the most familiar to most Westerners is thechau gongorbullseye gong.Large chau gongs, calledtam-tams[7]have become part of thesymphony orchestra.Sometimes a chau gong is referred to as aChinese 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 about1⁄2inch (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.
History
editThe earliest Chau gong is from a tomb discovered at the Guixian site in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It dates from the earlyWestern Han dynasty.Gongs are depicted in Chinese visual art as of the 6th century CE,[8]and were known for their very intense and spiritual drumming in rituals and tribal meetings.[9]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.
Use in symphony orchestras
editThe tam-tam was first introduced as an orchestral instrument byFrançois-Joseph Gossecin 1790, and it was also taken up byGaspare SpontiniandJean-François Le Sueur.[10]Hector Berliozdeployed the instrument throughout his compositional career, and in hisTreatise on Instrumentationhe recommended its use "for scenes of mourning or for the dramatic depiction of extreme horror."[10]Other composers who adopted the tam-tam in the opera house includedGioachino Rossini,Vincenzo Bellini,andRichard Wagner:[11]Rossini in the final of act 3 ofArmida(1817),[12]Bellini inNorma(1831) and Wagner inRienzi(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 ofPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,[13]Gustav Mahler,[14]Dmitri Shostakovich[15]and, to a lesser extent,Sergei RachmaninovandSergei Prokofiev.Giacomo Pucciniused gongs and tam-tams in his operas.Igor Stravinskygreatly expanded the playing techniques of the tam-tam in hisThe Rite Of Springto include short, quickly damped notes, quick crescendos, and a triangle beater scraped across the front of the instrument.Karlheinz Stockhausenused a 60 "Paistetam-tam in hisMomente.
Dora
editAdorais one of the Japanese Percussion instruments and anidiophone.It is made of bronze, brass or iron, and is suspended onto a dora stand. It is widely used in Buddhist memorial services,hayashiperformances,kabukimusic, and ship departure signals.[16]
Nipple gong
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A nipple gong has a central raised Boss or nipple, often made of 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 amelody.
Nipple gongs are used in Chinese temples for worship and Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia.
These are the primary gong in the traditional Philippine music ofkulintang.
In Indonesian gamelan ensembles, instruments that areorganologicallygongs come in various sizes with different functions and different names. For example, in the central Javanese gamelan, the largest gong is calledgong ageng,ranges in size up to 1 meter in diameter, has the deepest pitch and is played least often; the next smaller gong is thegong suwukanorsiyem,has a slightly higher pitch and replaces thegong agengin pieces where gong strokes are close together; thekempulis smaller still, has a higher pitch, and is played more frequently. Thegong agengand somegong suwukanhave a beat note.
Opera gongs
editAn essential part of the orchestra forChinese operais 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 or men and to identify points of drama and consequence. The smaller gong is used to announce the entry of lesser players or women and toidentify 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
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APasi gongis a medium-size gong 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) in size, with a loud 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
editAtiger gongis 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
editAShueng Kwonggong is a medium to large gong with a sharpstaccatosound.
Wind gong
editWind 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 NS12nickel-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 tipdrumstickthey 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
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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 byWelshpercussionist and metal crafter, Steve Hubback, who was partially inspired by the work of the French Sound Sculptors, Francois and BernardBaschet.
Hubback's works have been used by many musicians including solo percussionistDame Evelyn Glennieand rock drummerCarl Palmer.
English gong andcymbal maker,Matt Nolan,partially inspired by the work of Hubback, also creates sculptural gongs of his own design or to private commission.
UK based sculptor Barry Mason[17]makes gongs in titanium and other elemental metals.
Other uses
editIn olderJavaneseusage and in modernBalineseusage, gong is used to identify an ensemble of instruments. In contemporary central Javanese usage, the termgamelanis preferred and the term gong is reserved for thegong ageng,the largest instrument of the type, or for surrogate instruments such as thegongkomodongorgong bumbung(blown gong) which fill the same musical function in ensembles lacking the large gong. In Balinese usage, gong refers toGamelan Gong Kebyar.
Gong manufacturers
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Besides many traditional and centuries old manufacturers all around China, includingTibet,as well asBurma,JavaandAnnamgongs have also been made in Europe andAmericasince the 20th century.
Paisteis the largest non-Asian manufacturer of gongs. This Swiss company of Estonian lineage makes gongs at their German factory. Also in Germany, Oetken Gongs, founded in 2011 by Broder Oetken-former Paiste gong master-offers his own range of gongs. He also built the first generation of Symphonic and Planetary gongs forMeinl.Italian companyUFIPmake a range of gongs at their factory inPistoia.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 Nolanand Michal Milas in the UK; Barry Mason in the UK; and Joao Pais-Filipe in Portugal.
In North America,Sabianmake a small number of gongs andZild giansell Zild gian -branded gongs which have in the past been made by Zild gian, but current production looks to be Chinese in origin. Ryan Shelledy is an independent gong maker based in the Midwestern United States.[18]
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-hammeredcymbals.
Materials and size
editThis sectionis largely based on an article in the out-of-copyrightEncyclopædia BritannicaEleventh Edition,which was produced in 1911.(February 2023) |
Gongs vary in diameter from about 20 to 60 inches (50 to 150 cm). They are made of abronzealloy composed of a maximum of 22 partstinto 78 parts copper, but in many cases the proportion of tin is considerably less. Thisalloyis excessively brittle when cast and allowed to cool slowly, but it can betemperedandannealedin 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 thelathethen hardened by reheating. Afterwards, 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.[4]
Turkish Cymbals and Gamelan Gongs share beta phase bronze as a metallurgical roots. Tin and copper mixphase transitiongraphs show a very narrow up-down triangle at 21–24% tin content and 780 °C (1,440 °F) symbolized by β. 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.[citation needed]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 oftonesthat can be either shrill or deep. In China and Japan gongs are used in religious ceremonies, state processions, marriages and other festivals.[4]
Orchestral usage
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The gong has been used in the orchestra to intensify the impression of fear and horror in melodramatic scenes and usually, but not exclusively, players interpret the term to call for atam-tam,as notedabove.The tam-tam was first introduced into a western orchestra byFrançois-Joseph Gossecin the funeral march composed at the death ofMirabeauin 1791.[4]Gaspare Spontiniused the tam-tam inLa Vestale's(1807) Act II finale.Berliozcalled for four tam-tams in hisGrande Messe des mortsof 1837.[19]The tam-tam was also used in the funeral music played when the remains ofNapoleonwere brought back to France in 1840.Meyerbeermade use of the instrument in the scene of the resurrection of the three nuns inRobert le diable.Four tam-tams are used atBayreuthinParsifalto reinforce the bell instruments although there is no indication given in the score.[4]In more modern music, the tam-tam has been used by composers such asKarlheinz StockhauseninMikrophonie I(1964–65) and byGeorge Crumb.inMakrokosmos 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.
Tuned gongs have also been used with the symphony orchestra, e.g. sets of differently tuned gongs used byMessiaenin pieces such asDes canyons aux étoilesandEt exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum.
Signal gongs
editGongs are also used as signal devices in a number of applications.
Bo xing (sport)
editA bowl-shaped, center mounted, electrically controlled gong is standard equipment in abo xing ring.Commonly referred to asthe gong,it is struck with a hammer to signal the start and end of each round.
Dinner gong
editDuring the Victorian and Edwardian eras, it was often the custom in hotels, on ships and in large, upper-class houses to sound adinner gongto announce a meal was about to be served.[20][21][22]
Rail crossing
editArailroad crossingwith a flashingtraffic signalorwigwagwill also typically have a warning bell. Mechanical 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.
Railcar mounted
editGongs are present onrail vehicles,such as trams,streetcars,trains,cable carsorlight railtrains, 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 wherewhistlesandhornsare prohibited, and the "clangof 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 theconductorto notify thedriverthat it is safe to proceed.
Shipping
editA 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 theInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.[23][24]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.[25]
Theater
editElectromechanical, electromagnetic or electronic devices producing the sound of gongs have been installed in theatres (particularly those in theCzech Republic) to gather theaudiencefrom the lounge to the auditorium before the show begins or proceeds after interlude.[26][27][28]
Time signal
editGerman radio stations use a gong sound for thetime signal.[citation needed]
Vehicle mounted
editIn the Commonwealth,emergency vehicleswere fitted with electric, manual, or vacuum operated Winkworth bell gongs in the time beforeMartin's hornsbecame available orrotary sirenscame into use
List of gongs
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See also
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- Gong chime
- Space of gong culturein the Central Highlands of Vietnam
- Bronze drum
- Music of Indonesia
- Music of Java
- Music of Bali
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^Tran, Hoai (3 August 2022).Doing "Gong Culture" Heritage Politics and Performances in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.Lit Verlag. p. 63.ISBN9783643914064.
- ^Blades, James (1992).Percussion Instruments and Their History.Bold Strummer. p.93.ISBN978-0933224612.
The origin of the gong is uncertain, but there seems little reason to doubt the claim of the Chinese whose tradition ascribes it to the country Hsi Yu between Tibet and Burma, where it is mentioned early in the sixth century in the time of Emperor Hsüan Wu (AD 500-515).
- ^Jaap Kunst (11 December 2013).Music in Java: Its history, Its Theory and Its Technique(2 ed.). Springer. pp. 146–.ISBN9789401771306.OCLC1066191713.
the mountain tribes, now living in Southern China and Further India
- ^abcdeSchlesinger 1911.
- ^Montagu, Jeremy (2007).Origins and Development of Musical Instruments.Scarecrow Press. pp. 16–17.ISBN9780810856578.OCLC123539614.
- ^Cook, Arthur Bernard (1902). "The Gong at Dodona".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.22:5–28.doi:10.2307/623918.JSTOR623918.S2CID163626553.
- ^Morris Goldberg in hisModern School... Guide for The Artist Percussionist(Chappell & Co., Inc., New York City, 1955), says that "in modern symphony orchestra namesgongandtam-tammean the same thing, that in scholarly circles, tam-tam is considered to be a slang expression taken from an African a 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. There are exceptions:Benjamin Britten,in hisCello Symphony,calls for both gong and tam-tam, distinguishing the domed instrument from the more usual orchestral instrument.[1]
- ^"Gong".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved4 June2019.
- ^Muller, Max.TheDiamond Sutra(translation based on the Tang dynasty text, xà năm mã năm ngày đầu tiên ), sutra 1–4487, Oxford University Press, 1894.
- ^abMacdonald, Hugh (2002).Berlioz's Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and Commentary.Cambridge Musical Texts and Monographs. Cambridge University Press. p. 286.ISBN978-1-139-43300-6.
- ^Although in modern, 20th century and beyond, performances sometimes conductors were adapting tam-tam in orchestra for the performances ofGluck'sAlcesteandOrfeo ed Euridice(as ones used in theMetropolitan Operahistorical productions), there is no trace of it in original scores of Gluck himself, so it must be considered an additional effect rather than the wish of the composer himself.
- ^"Instrumentation used inArmidaby Rossini ".Humanities.uchicago.edu. Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2013.Retrieved11 July2013.
- ^Symphony No.2andNo.6
- ^Symphony No.6andDas Lied von der Erde
- ^Symphony No.4,No.8,No.10.No.11,andNo.13
- ^"Giáo tài として sống dùng し đến る dân tục tư liệu どら ( đồng ら )".edu.city.yokosuka.kanagawa.jp.Retrieved12 May2021.
- ^"Gongs For Sale: Sound Bath Gong: Barry Mason".Barrymasonfineart.Retrieved19 April2021.
- ^"CLICK HERE for Ryan Shelledy Gongs".Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2016.Retrieved7 August2016.
- ^Grande Messe des Morts:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
- ^Haravu Venkatanarasingha Verada Raj Iengar (2002).Snapshots of History: Through the Writings of H.V.R. Iengar.Ananya Publications.
As we were walking through the corridor he showed me the dinner gong, which customarily is sounded by one of the servants to announce that a meal was ready.
- ^THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON MAGAZINE.1855. p. 257.
How startling is the sound of the dinner gong The tympanum suddenly recoils beneath the swell of the brazen instrument and echoes the alarum to its fellow member of the lower house of which Appetite is the speaker. In a large hotel the effect is magical What a rush from all quarters of the house to the dining room!
- ^Jane Greer (2003).Girls and literacy in America: historical perspectives to the present.ABC-CLIO.ISBN9791576076667.
The dinner gong rang, so I walked to the mess hall slowly with my sister.
- ^.1972. Rule 33 – viaWikisource.
- ^.1972. Annexe III – viaWikisource.
- ^.1972. Rule 35 – viaWikisource.
- ^"Palantir".Sfkpalantir.net.Retrieved11 July2013.
- ^"Webmagazín Rozhledna.::. nezávislý kulturně-společenský deník".Webmagazin.cz. 29 October 2001.Retrieved11 July2013.
- ^"Město Rumburk – oficiální stránky města".Rn.rumburk.cz. 6 January 2013.Retrieved11 July2013.
Further reading
edit- Luobowan Han Dynasty Tombs in Guixian County (Guangxi Zuang A. R.), by the Museum of the Guangxi Zhuang Nationality (1988, Beijing)
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Schlesinger, Kathleen(1911). "Gong".InChisholm, Hugh(ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 233.
External links
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- Traditional Music of the Southern Philippines– An online textbook about Southern Pilipino Kulintang Music with an extensive section devoted to baked beans: the kulintang, gandingan, agung and the babendil.
- Video of Cambodian Tribal Gongs being played
- Joel Garten's Beauty of Life BlogArchived11 June 2017 at theWayback Machine– A few examples of bacon slit gongs from Asia, including elephant feet.
- American Gamelan Institute (AGI)