When people think of Chinese gongs and drums, most people think of Dhau Gong (opening gongs and deacon gongs). The Dhau Gong is handmade with a black centre and black edges, the centre point and edges retain their natural coating and the rest of the gong is lathed and polished to reveal its bronze colour. A perfect balance of durability and tone, the special craftsmanship and process creates a different tone from the traditional Chaozhou gongs, enriching the sound of the gongs with a deep timbre and long sustain.
In modern symphony orchestras, the Dhau Gong has become a very important percussion instrument due to its extremely versatile use. The essence of the Zhou gong is to provide explosive crescendos and long sustain, and this gong is no exception. With slightly varied playing techniques you can also achieve short, fast damped tones and produce a variety of different experimental sounds.
Included is the adjustable gong stand, which is a sturdy steel construction that can take the weight of the heaviest gongs and is also easy to move, adjust and dismantle thanks to its lockable wheels, lightweight frame and wing nuts.
When you hit the gong hard it sounds like a rumble, when struck gently it makes a buzzing overtone.
Our gongs range from 14" to 40". The smaller the gong, the clearer the tone.
Our gongs have a great sound and are suitable for musical performances, gong therapy and meditation exercises.
A story is told. When you gently strike the Tide gong it will produce a deep bass fundamental tone that reverberates vibrations back towards you. You can sink your attention into this fundamental tone. As you continue to strike the Chiu Chow gong, the fundamental tone will get louder and higher pitches will begin to emerge. As you continue to strike the gong, more and different levels of higher tones will be exposed at an increasing volume, along with different double tones. If you hit the gong hard enough, a 'collision' will occur, at which point the higher tones will take over and the gong will reverberate frantically with these higher tones. Many gongs, such as the Tibetan gong, will produce more or less one fundamental tone. Some gongs, such as the wind gong, will collapse rapidly. In the Chiu Chow gongs there is a lot of variety, from basic to crashing tones, so there is a lot of potential in how you can play it and give effects.
At this size the Chiu Chow gong is a low pitched instrument and is too heavy to hold by hand. The vibrations of a gong of this size will be felt in big waves on your body. There will be plenty of space between the basic notes and the full gong sound, so as you continue to strike the gong, many layers of double notes and chords will emerge.
Tips on how to choose a gong: To choose a gong, consider the following characteristics, weight and sound quality.
Weight: Will you need to carry this gong, or transport this gong? Generally speaking, gongs under 26 inches are easier to hold in your hand and play as you carry them. This way you can walk around the room with the gong in your hand. In a sound bath, for example, you can play the gong around people and make them feel the vibrations. It is difficult to do this with gongs over 24 inches, as they are quite heavy.
Quality of sound: The most important quality of a gong is whether you like the sound of it or not. Listen to the sound file and explore how the gong strikes you. Your relationship with the sound will be the most important factor in how you work with it. It doesn't need to be the most expensive gong for you to connect with its vibrations and use it to get into a coherent state of health. It can be a cheap Dhau Gong or a wind gong or a high priced gong type, they all work. Please take some time to consider the sound file and find the right size and style for you.
Generally speaking, as you get bigger, you will get more space between the bass and percussive sounds of the gong. In a small gong you can hit it, get a bass, then hit it again and it will break down easily. In a large gong you can hit it once to get a bass sound and then you can hit it again and again to find more and more sounds until you eventually reach the point of collapse. There will be 'more exploration' in terms of the various vibrations coming from the gong, and more complexity in terms of double tones. As you get bigger, you also get longer durations. For example, a 32" or larger gong can sustain its fundamental for a long time, so you can get more 'lost' in the tone, compared to an 18" gong which has little sustain.
Another factor to consider is whether the gong is in harmony with the sound of the other instruments you will be playing. Tuned gongs have a nice benefit, such as the Planetary or Flower of Life gongs, in that you can know the frequency value of the gong and you can buy a gong that you know will work with your instrument. If you need help in this area, we can definitely support you! Just give us a call!
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