Ahhh, some people. Percussionists have been using bows on instruments for ages. There are a lot of compositions with those parts written for bows. I hope you are still at it…
Actually, 'tam tam' is a term that was created when 'Gongs' were 1st used in symphonic music back in the 1800s to differentiate a flat faced Gong from a Gong with a raised center 'boss.' (There is no definitive answer as to where the term originated - same say it's Chinese, some say it's Hindi, still others say it's something else…) When a score calls for a 'tam tam' (like Messiaen’s 'Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum'),then a flat faced Gong, like a Chinese Chau, is used.
The rosin goes on the bow hairs. You pull the bow back and forth across the rosin until the hairs are coated. The rosin is sticky and grabs onto the gong or string as you draw the bow across. This vibrates the gong or string, creating the sound.
When a score calls for a 'Gong' (like Puccini’s 'Madame Butterfly', or 'Turandot'), then a bossed Gong, either tuned or untuned, is used. But all Gongs are Gongs, and I don't play in the symphony…
I don't think so; the only way to simulate vibrato is to set the gong moving in a side to side motion (easiest with smaller gongs that can be handheld), and in doing that, you're making constant bow contact with the instrument very difficult, if not impossible. I think that it would only be possible AFTER the bow strokes are completed.
Dear Sir, thanks for your beautiful youtube channell, I am enjoying it very much. I have invented a mallett for my gongs and I am wishing to share the picture of it. I was ispired by your suggestions about friction mallets, it's very simple to build ... how can I send you a picture of it ? Maybe you have suggestions to get it better. Cheers from Italy ! Andrew
This is a 32" Gong. A wind Gong, with its flat edge, can be easier to bow because you don't have to reach around to bow the edge. I have a Wind Gong with a center hole that I use for bowing.
Great series. I got a 22" bronze (?) gong from Indonesian. Weighs 18 lbs. They hammered it out in the hills above Jakarta. Got it yrs ago but just started to appreciate the playing of it. Your videos help alot. Thanks.
Violin/viola/cello/bass bows all will work. Bass & cello bows are a bit wider and are usually preferred, but experiment with what you have. I use all types of bows.
