The gongs are considered an epitome, a paradigm, a representation of the East Asian culture. This instrument belongs to the oldest and most important musical instruments of the region which origin may be traced back to second millennium B.C.
In Chinese history, this instrument had been mentioned in the 500 A.D., which is attributed to a nation called Hsi Yu situated between Tibet and Burma in the regime of Emperor Hsuan Wu.
This instrument is a very important element in the lives of many families in the region. In Asian families, this instrument is attributed to wealth and is serving as a status symbol. In many rites, for instance in the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the instrument is used to evocate ghosts and eliminate bad spirits. Most also believe that touching this instrument would bring wealth, fortune and strength. This beliefs and special significance is retained even up to this day.
There are even more uses and significance that this instrument has for the lives of most Asian families in the South East Asia, here are some of them.
* Qi-Gong (which is pronounced as chee-gong) is popular in China for thousands of years now. This is literally; breathing exercises but is a name referred to a wide variety for enhancing the Qi or the internal energy of the life force. It is in the end of the cultural revolution that Deng Ziao Peng set the rebuilding of the cultural history of China. He did this through the promotion of the rediscovery of traditional Chinese medicine including Qi-Gong. There are many techniques but the prevailing elements would be clearing the mind, slow breathing, deep abdominal and comfortable breaths, and focusing.
* There is a movement in China called the Falun gong that has been banned.
* There are more or less three types of this instrument namely: suspended gongs, which are more or less flat, circular discs of metal vertically suspended by a cord that passes through holes near the top of the rim; bossed gongs, have their center boss raised which is often played suspended and played horizontally. And the bowl gongs are obviously, bowl-shaped that rest of the cushions and may better belong to bells than gongs.
* This instrument is often made from bronze or brass but there are many alloys that are also used to make these.
* This instrument had been used as waking devices and to summon domestic help in upper class houses.
* A bowl-shaped mounted gong is standard equipment in boxing matches. This is where the expression saved by the bell is derived as it is used with a hammer to signal the beginning and closing of each round.
* To summon the character Lurch in the television show The Addams Family, the sound of chau gong is used. He would come around and give his popular line You Rang?
* This instrument is a titular feature on the television show The Gong Show which is a popular variety/ game show. A failed act will be signaled by the ringing of the instrument.
Now you know the many unknown and trivial things about gongs. The next time you play it, you will be glad to have known such things associated with your instrument.
Author Resource:-
Matthew Stanton writes an article about Gongs and how it can produce a distinctive sound of Asian music. Simply visit this site for information at http://www.yourworldinstruments.com/gong-s/64.htm
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