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.
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
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 🤩🎆
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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!
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?
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
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)
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.
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).
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
+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…
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.'
Best video on Gongs i have seen on RUclips! Very informative! Thank you very much:)
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.
I really appreciated the small one at the end, the sound was so amazing..
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
MrMonsterman32 I didn't 'forget 'the Agung. I don't have one at this time, so I didn't mention it.
You forgot to bang that big gong behind you
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 🤩🎆
Thank you so much for testing gong each a type because I working on this physics project.
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!
+Jonathan Lundquist Thanks so much for your interest and your comment! MB
Tam Tam?
That was amazing. I have so much new found gong knowledge.
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.
Thanks. I'm thinking of buying a gong for our garden and this really helps me understand the styles and their sounds.
Kajsa Nikulasdotter but leaving it outside would corrode it and destroy the tonality:(((
why would you do that to your neighbors
Very informative, love your videos. Marty
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!
How much is an 80" Zildjian gong $ ?
It is called the wind gong as the sound grows very very significantly.
Cool stuff.
Do I need to have 2 hooks to hang the gong from? Why 2 verses 1 hook?
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
🌺👌👌🌺
Sir can you make a video about the parts of gong
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!
@@Gongtopia thank youuu
@@Gongtopia do you have any names for the surface around the boss of the gong? also the rim on its sides?
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.
Excellent presentation.
I would use it as a doorbell!
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.
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!
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!
Great points. I think I'll get the 32" Paiste Sound Creation # 3 Earth Gong. Thank you again!
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?
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
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)
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.
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).
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
Hello there i was just wondering are you self taught ? x
+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…
I was taught that the 1st instruments shown are called tam-tams. What gives?
A tam tam is any gong with a flat face
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.'
Uuuuuuuuuuooewws