Submitted by grasshopper on
Above photo: Boxer, Billy Wells, hitting a gong during the opening sequence of one of many Rank films.GONG!!!
Greetings! My name is Abe. I will periodically share some (hopefully) inspired tidbits of what I know using what resources I have found regarding music, sound, and spirit.
Speaking for myself, I own a 12" desk gong that I use for meditation. The gong focuses my mind and centers it. My awareness is increased and my mind begins its process towards profound silence in tandem with the gradual decay of the voice of the gong itself. I liken it to stepping through a gateway (maybe a wormhole) and entering a different space... a magical space of renewed and renewing life opened up by the gong...
From John 11:43 (English Standard Version) "When he (Jesus) had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'"
GONG!!!
There are many types of gongs. In Chinese opera, two or more gongs are used to punctuate important events. They have a characteristic "glissando" sound, descending or ascending. A large Chinese gong, the tam-tam, as well as smaller gongs have been used in Western orchestras since the 19th century. A tam-tam is flat and its sound is a deep, resonant splash. They offer the orchestrator a picturesque effect. Orchestral gongs have nipples and are more bell-like. Several sizes of gongs are used in the Indonesian bell orchestra known as gamelan (a possible subject for a future blog).
Gongs are usually struck with a heavy beater. They can also be scraped or bowed to produce a shrill sound effect (a cliche in contemporary media sound design). My favorite is what happens when a struck gong is sunk in a tub of water.
The folowing from http://www.harmonyofthespheres.net/History.html
History of the Gong
"Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony?" --Leonardo da Vinci
The existence of the gong dates back to the Bronze Age, around 3500 BC and the main gong producing areas were believed to be Burma, China, Java and Annam. For centuries a gong was viewed as a symbol of status and success among Asian families and the secrets of gong making were closely guarded. Since the time of Buddha in 600 BC, all sacred Chinese gongs have been inscribed with the two Mandarin Chinese characters “Tai Loi”, which means happiness has arrived.
Some of the ancient uses for the gong include meditation, healing, communication, and announcing the beginning of ceremonies. Gongs were also used in European orchestras from 1790 onwards and are currently a part of orchestras around the world.
Gongs are made of a bronze alloy which consists of approximately 75 percent copper, 20 percent tin and 5 percent nickel. They are prayerfully hand hammered and refined by the artisans whose soul is imbued in the finished product. According to Don Conreaux, “gong makers believed that a gong could only succeed with the help of higher powers.”
Touching a gong is believed to bring a person good luck, health and happiness; however, it is important to have permission to approach a gong. Respect for the physical gong and the spirit of the gong is of primary importance.
The gong is named after the sound it makes - in essence, it ‘is’ what it ‘does’, “an engine of power releasing tone resonance and complex harmonics that are transferred to the recipient.” Don Conreaux
Youtube Gong links:
GONG!!!
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