The gong is a very traditional musical instrument, which has a firm place in numerous cultures of this world. What laymen often do not know: It is varied and versatile when it comes to the different sound frequencies.
Quite often, however, the gong is underestimated. Those who think of the sounds of a gong often have only a low hum in their own imagination. But in fact, the tones and frequencies of the gong depend mainly on where exactly you place the mallet and which gong mallet you use. The shape, structure and type of the gong also have a great influence on its sound. We would like to show you what gong frequencies and gong sounds there are, what makes them possible and how gong music can enrich your everyday life.
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Feel the sounds and frequencies of the gong
When you play a gong, the often deep and sensual sound takes over the entire room. The energy emanating from the powerful vibrations, due to the different frequencies of the gong, also penetrates through your body – triggering the meditative and calming feeling through which the mystical instrument plays such an important role in many cultures.
Suddenly it’s easy for you to fully engage with the sounds and feel the rhythm take over your thoughts. The sound of the gong is perceived by us as one of the so-called primal sounds, like a tone that we seem to have known since the beginning of life. There is a very appropriate quote from Yogi Bajhan, one of the most famous gong players in the world: “The gong is not sound – the gong is resound. – translated colloquially, this means that the gong for you is not only a sound that you can hear with your ears, but above all a sound that resonates in time with your inner voice. And that’s what makes playing with the gong so special: you reach deep feelings and needs that you wouldn’t have access to without the soothing frequencies of the gong, exploring entirely new worlds of sound.
Gong frequencies and chakras
The frequencies you want to create with your gong playing also depends on whether you want to target a specific chakra. Olli Hess has developed a separate Gong Mallet for each chakra, specifically designed to meet the needs of your chakras. If you want to learn more about chakra frequencies, you can take a look at our blog post on chakra tones and meditation.
What sound frequencies does the gong allow?
Of course, what frequency your gong reaches depends on several factors. First of all, it depends on the choice of the gong. The hump gong has a well-defined pitch that sounds different on the side edges than on the low hump, which is located in the center of the gong. Here you have the choice between lighter tones created with the mallet at the edges and a deep, Om-like tone created in the center of the hump. The situation is different with the flat tam-tam gong, however, which also reaches different frequencies, but draws its diversity primarily from the subtle refinements of the sounds.
Which gong tones are produced by the sound game, of course, always depends on the mallet used. The requirements are accordingly high: A gong mallet or gong driver should always be adapted to the type of gong. Due to the width of the head and the length of the mallet, the notes produced by a blow with the mallet vary. And, of course, the material used for the gong mallet also plays a very significant role. That’s why it’s important to go for quality when buying a gong mallet, because that’s the only way you’ll achieve the variety of sounds that makes playing with the gong so unique.
Which mallet produces the most beautiful gong sounds?
For particularly deep sounds, use a very large Gong Mallet, as you will find in our assortment. Here, for example, the Profi Gong Mallet L815 is a good choice, which is one of the heaviest mallets in our range, but still allows for easy and comfortable handling. Due to its above-average size, this gong mallet allows you to reach the lowest and most sensual frequencies on the gong. The soft rubber head conjures up warm and deep tones and is ideal for sound play on a large gong.
Also a practical idea: opt for a professional gong mallet set that will open up the whole world of sounds to you. Our mallet sets include up to four different mallets with which you can play both gong and singing bowl. This allows you to achieve clear, fine tones as well as low and voluminous frequencies.
Gong frequencies in numbers – these are the dimensions your gong reaches
The frequencies reached by a gong always depend on its individual design and the choice of mallet. However, most gongs reach very low and voluminous frequencies, not infrequently beyond 100 Hz. Basically, the larger a gong is, the richer the frequency range that can be played. The tones that are created at the edge of a gong are always much higher and lighter than the low tones that can be played in the middle of a gong. The shape of the gong, of course, also significantly affects the frequency that can be played with it.
The ollihess gong “Sadja” with 36 inch diameter is a very overtone rich gong. The peculiarity of this earth gong is hidden in the fact that the listener of the sound play immediately develops the feeling of being directly connected with the earth and can feel the slow orbits of the sun. This type of gong has been used in sound magic rituals for thousands of years and plays an important role especially in Indian culture.
The frequency of the Sadja Gong 36 inch ranges on average between 130 and 140 Hz. As a counterpart, the ollihess Gong Wega with 40 inches is a very good choice, because it creates a more spherical sound that represents the cosmic rhythms. The special depth of this gong is also in the overtone spectrum, so that tones, vibrations, frequencies and energy immediately project themselves onto the listener.
Audio samples – dive into the world of gong sounds
Buying a gong should be well thought out, because each sound game is unique. So it is always worthwhile to explore the exciting play of frequencies in more detail in advance via a gong sound test. The intensity that the sound energy triggers in our body is only transmitted to a limited extent in a recorded audio sample – nevertheless, this way you get a first impression. For the Sadja 40 inch flat gong, we have already prepared a 5 minute gong audio sample for you here. Dive deep into the world of earth sounds and let your feelings run free while you perceive the vibrations of the earth on your own body.
How do the ollihess gongs stand out from the crowd with their frequencies?
Each gong from Olli Hess is made with a lot of heart and loving handwork directly in Germany. We ourselves appreciate the world of sounds and all its subtle refinements – and would like to offer you an insight into this exciting and very traditional culture.
Due to the pure handwork, a constant quality control takes place, which allows particularly fine sound spectra and a variety of different gong tones and gong frequencies. For the production of the gongs we use sustainable and whenever possible exclusively regional materials.
