The gong is used for a multitude of different occasions:- for ceremonies, to start and to end sporting contests, to announce the arrival of important people, for tv shows, and many other occasions.
To have a gong in the house is still considered, in many south east asian countries, a sign of wealth, and touching a gong is still believed to bring fortune and strength.
To select Your Gong here are the main types, their traditional use, the look and the sound you can expect from your gong.
The sound of the gong will vary depending on the type of gong (see descriptions below) and its size – the larger ones will produce the deeper pitch sounds and will sustain for longer. The sound will also be affected by the materials used for the gong manufacture, the way it is suspended and how free it is to vibrate and how it is struck.
The Wind gong (or Lion gong) is traditionally used for healing and for the lion dance, It has a crescendo and sustained sound like the wind hence the name. The wind gong characteristic sound is made up of a subtle fundamental and many strong overtones. The 21 1/2” size is the most popular because while it's still portable it already gives a loud crashing sound. The wind gong is geometrically a flat disc and has a shimmering sound vaguely similar to the cymbals. used in the traditional percussion drum kit.
The Chao or Chau gong (or Bullseye gong) is traditionally used for music and also for meditation, The Chau gong has the classic dark spot in the center and dark ring on the rim. This gong is thicker than the wind gong and has a deeper sound. Its characteristic sound is made up of a strong fundamental note and many subtle overtones. To many people it has the true ‘gongy’ sound.
The Bao gong (or nipple gong) is the most spiritual of all the gongs as it’s found in temples in many south asian countries. The Bao gong is usually played by striking the nipple in the center which makes the nicest sound, but it can also be struck in other areas to obtain different sounds. When you strike the Bao gong in the center it will make a bell sound, when struck elsewhere it will make a sound more similar to the other gongs, but still retain its bells' like quality.
When gongs are struck they will all resonate and sustain if suspended by chords and usually held in stands. The Bao Gong will still resonate if struck when not suspended, but it would not sustain as long as when suspended. To suspend your gong, select your Gong Stand from the next page (click here)
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