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; 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 founds 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 “gongs” known as resting bells were widely used in ancient Greece and Rome, for instance in the famous Oracle of Dodona.^[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 and belong more to bells than gongs. 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.