Basically, there are four types of gongs: The Feng Gong (also called Sun Gong or Wind Gong), the Chau Tam Tam (also called Chau Gong), the Nipple Gong and the so called Kettle Gong (also known as Agung), whereby Chau Tam Tams and Feng Gongs can be summarized under the term Flat Gong.
Of myths and legends
According to a myth, the gong originates from a bronze shield that was struck in ancient Greece to drown out the cries of the newborn Zeus to protect him from his father, the god Chronos. Chronos, according to legend, had simply eaten his children out of fear of being deprived of power by his descendants. From there the Gong spreads to China, so the assumption.
Use your senses!
You can differentiate between a Chau Tam Tam and a Wind Gong just by looking at it. While the Wind Gong is a plate-shaped, almost rimless disc, the Chau Tam Tam has a wide folded back edge. This gives the Chau Tam Tam’s surface more tension. If you lift the gong, you will also be able to quickly determine from the weight whether it is a Wind Gong or a Chau Tam Tam. The latter is much thicker and heavier than the Wind Gong.
In addition, most of the Chinese characters applied to the Meinl Sonic Energy Gongs and Tam Tams tell you which Gong Series it is, because these express the gong’s genre. Here are a few examples:
虎 = tiger
抄 = chāo
風 = fēng (= wind)
The tone pitch makes the difference
A distinction between the Chau Tam Tam and the Wind Gong can also be made in terms of sound. Although neither is tuned to a specific pitch, the sound of a Wind Gong unfolds much more quickly than that of a Chau Tam Tam due to its flat construction. The Chau Gong takes a bit more time to deliver the full sound, but then offers more tonal nuances and a longer sustain.
Other non-tuned models from the Meinl Sonic Energy Gong repertoire include the Opera Gong, the Indian Premium Wind Gong, the White Songs, and the Tiger Gongs.
With the exception of the Indian Premium Wind Gong, all of these models are individually cast in B20 bronze and hand-hammered and hand-finished in the ancient Chinese tradition that has been used for many centuries.
In principle, however, it can be said, the larger and heavier the Tam Tam or Wind Gong, the lower the pitch. Of course, mallet, striking point and the Gong’s material, also have an influence on the sound.
The sound characteristics of a Chau Tam Tam are described with adjectives such as mysterious, somber, threatening, majestic, powerful and booming. In contrast to the Chau Gong, properties such as brilliant, dazzling, lively (i.e. "brighter" sound properties) characterize the sound of a Wind Gong.
Penetrating and multi-layered
Although Meinl Sonic Energy Wind Gongs and Chau Tam Tams are not suitable for underpinning exact sounds due to their indeterminate pitch, they offer a wide range of tones and tonal possibilities, not least because of their shape and special bronze alloy.
Experiencing the frequencies of a gong has a deeply calming, centering and grounding effect on many people. This is why they are found as meditation and yoga accompaniments, in sound therapy, or in fantasy journeys. Furthermore, Meinl Sonic Energy Gongs and Chau Tam Tams can be simply used in your living room for relaxation and stress relief. A positive side effect is that they are very decorative, just like a sound sculpture.
The Chau Gong with its powerful and effective sound can also be a signaling device, as we know it for example from school to ring in a new lesson or the break. A gong even has the power to drown out an entire symphony orchestra, but at the same time harmonizes very well with other instruments of an orchestra, depending on the type of playing and the choice of mallets.
THE GONG
AN INSTRUMENT BETWEEN POWER, SYMPHONY AND MEDITATION
Meinl Sonic Energy is a collection of instruments that supports our connection to experience the body, mind and energy, as One. Many practitioners and guides within the health and wellness industry use these instruments therapeutically for stress management, anxiety relief, insomnia, depression, addictive recovery, pain management, etc. They are unique expressions of the vibrations we encounter on a daily basis and when listened to closely, seem to have a language all their own. They invite us to appreciate the definition of all things we find harmonious in our life and through this support, our journey begins toward new peace and restoration. Our collection of beautifully crafted creations makes self-discovery through sound a simple, profound practice.
With eleven series and more than 80 different gongs, Meinl Sonic Energy offers one of the largest gong selections in the world. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Therefore, this blog article compactly summarizes the main differences between the series.
You may have also noticed the Don Conreaux Eight Corners of Heaven Mirror Gong, which has been developed in collaboration with the Gong Master Don Conreaux. The peculiarity of this gong is, besides its mirror surface and backside, that it is tuned to approximately one tone, but often has a semitone tolerance (Tuning D2 - D2#).
The eight symbols on the surface stand for the eight runic glyphs, that respresent the cycle of life and and suggest that the sound of the gong originates in the eight corners of heaven propelling the cycle of life on earth.
Both sides of the gong are finished with a mirror surface allowing the player to see himself, listeners, or other gongplayers in an ensemble. This is also beneficial in meditation and therapy use for self-mirroring and reflecting.
The Don Conreaux Gong is handcrafted out of Nickelsilver in Germany.
The Meinl Sonic Energy Chakra Gongs, the Planetary Tuned Gongs and the Flower of Life Gongs stand out from all the above series. These are also made of Nickelsilver in the traditional European way, but are tuned to a defined tone. Want to learn more about the Meinl Sonic Energy Chakra Gongs and Planetary Tuned Gongs? Then check out our blog posts 7 Chakras, 7 Gongs and Planetary Tuned Gongs and their therapeutic effects.
Basically, there are four types of gongs: The Feng Gong (also called Sun Gong or Wind Gong), the Chau Tam Tam (also called Chau Gong), the Nipple Gong and the so called Kettle Gong (also known as Agung), whereby Chau Tam Tams and Feng Gongs can be summarized under the term Flat Gong.
Of myths and legends
According to a myth, the gong originates from a bronze shield that was struck in ancient Greece to drown out the cries of the newborn Zeus to protect him from his father, the god Chronos. Chronos, according to legend, had simply eaten his children out of fear of being deprived of power by his descendants. From there the Gong spreads to China, so the assumption.
Use your senses!
You can differentiate between a Chau Tam Tam and a Wind Gong just by looking at it. While the Wind Gong is a plate-shaped, almost rimless disc, the Chau Tam Tam has a wide folded back edge. This gives the Chau Tam Tam’s surface more tension. If you lift the gong, you will also be able to quickly determine from the weight whether it is a Wind Gong or a Chau Tam Tam. The latter is much thicker and heavier than the Wind Gong.
In addition, most of the Chinese characters applied to the Meinl Sonic Energy Gongs and Tam Tams tell you which Gong Series it is, because these express the gong’s genre. Here are a few examples:
虎 = tiger
抄 = chāo
風 = fēng (= wind)
The tone pitch makes the difference
A distinction between the Chau Tam Tam and the Wind Gong can also be made in terms of sound. Although neither is tuned to a specific pitch, the sound of a Wind Gong unfolds much more quickly than that of a Chau Tam Tam due to its flat construction. The Chau Gong takes a bit more time to deliver the full sound, but then offers more tonal nuances and a longer sustain.
Other non-tuned models from the Meinl Sonic Energy Gong repertoire include the Opera Gong, the Indian Premium Wind Gong, the White Songs, and the Tiger Gongs.
With the exception of the Indian Premium Wind Gong, all of these models are individually cast in B20 bronze and hand-hammered and hand-finished in the ancient Chinese tradition that has been used for many centuries.
In principle, however, it can be said, the larger and heavier the Tam Tam or Wind Gong, the lower the pitch. Of course, mallet, striking point and the Gong’s material, also have an influence on the sound.
The sound characteristics of a Chau Tam Tam are described with adjectives such as mysterious, somber, threatening, majestic, powerful and booming. In contrast to the Chau Gong, properties such as brilliant, dazzling, lively (i.e. "brighter" sound properties) characterize the sound of a Wind Gong.
Penetrating and multi-layered
Although Meinl Sonic Energy Wind Gongs and Chau Tam Tams are not suitable for underpinning exact sounds due to their indeterminate pitch, they offer a wide range of tones and tonal possibilities, not least because of their shape and special bronze alloy.
Experiencing the frequencies of a gong has a deeply calming, centering and grounding effect on many people. This is why they are found as meditation and yoga accompaniments, in sound therapy, or in fantasy journeys. Furthermore, Meinl Sonic Energy Gongs and Chau Tam Tams can be simply used in your living room for relaxation and stress relief. A positive side effect is that they are very decorative, just like a sound sculpture.
The Chau Gong with its powerful and effective sound can also be a signaling device, as we know it for example from school to ring in a new lesson or the break. A gong even has the power to drown out an entire symphony orchestra, but at the same time harmonizes very well with other instruments of an orchestra, depending on the type of playing and the choice of mallets.
THE GONG
AN INSTRUMENT BETWEEN POWER, SYMPHONY AND MEDITATION
Meinl Sonic Energy is a collection of instruments that supports our connection to experience the body, mind and energy, as One. Many practitioners and guides within the health and wellness industry use these instruments therapeutically for stress management, anxiety relief, insomnia, depression, addictive recovery, pain management, etc. They are unique expressions of the vibrations we encounter on a daily basis and when listened to closely, seem to have a language all their own. They invite us to appreciate the definition of all things we find harmonious in our life and through this support, our journey begins toward new peace and restoration. Our collection of beautifully crafted creations makes self-discovery through sound a simple, profound practice.
With eleven series and more than 80 different gongs, Meinl Sonic Energy offers one of the largest gong selections in the world. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Therefore, this blog article compactly summarizes the main differences between the series.
You may have also noticed the Don Conreaux Eight Corners of Heaven Mirror Gong, which has been developed in collaboration with the Gong Master Don Conreaux. The peculiarity of this gong is, besides its mirror surface and backside, that it is tuned to approximately one tone, but often has a semitone tolerance (Tuning D2 - D2#).
The eight symbols on the surface stand for the eight runic glyphs, that respresent the cycle of life and and suggest that the sound of the gong originates in the eight corners of heaven propelling the cycle of life on earth.
Both sides of the gong are finished with a mirror surface allowing the player to see himself, listeners, or other gongplayers in an ensemble. This is also beneficial in meditation and therapy use for self-mirroring and reflecting.
The Don Conreaux Gong is handcrafted out of Nickelsilver in Germany.
The Meinl Sonic Energy Chakra Gongs, the Planetary Tuned Gongs and the Flower of Life Gongs stand out from all the above series. These are also made of Nickelsilver in the traditional European way, but are tuned to a defined tone. Want to learn more about the Meinl Sonic Energy Chakra Gongs and Planetary Tuned Gongs? Then check out our blog articles 7 Chakras, 7 Gongs and Planetary Tuned Gongs and their therapeutic effects.
