54" Chau Gong with Beater

The 54" Chau Gong is a very elegant and distinctive gong that produces a full and sustained wash of musical overtones. Its beauty and its traditional appearance make it a centerpiece in any space, indoors or outdoors.  The Chinese Chau Gong dates from the Han Dynasty where it was used for spiritual drumming, large meetings, and to announce the procession of important people.  In more modern times, the Chau Gong has found a place in different genres of music, most notably symphony orchestras.

Chau Gongs, otherwise known as a Tam-Tam, is one of the most familiar looking Chinese gongs.  The Chau Gong differs in shape from the Wind Gong in that it has a rim around the outside edge.  It also has a very distinctive "target" appearance or bullseye.  Striking the gong in the center or bullseye, will result in a more fundamental tone with a perceivable pitch. While playing triking the gong 4-6 inches off center will bring out more overtones, crash, and a combination of lows and high timbres. 

The Chinese Chau Gong of a bronze alloy which is roughly 80% copper and 20% tin, and the crafting process is a mixture of hand hammering and working the bronze on a lathe while carefully heating and cooling the metal.  On the Chau Gong, the center spot and outside rim retain the black copper oxide that forms when the gong is made.  On the rest of the gong this coating is removed from lathing and the surface is polished.

54" Chau Gong includes a Gong Mallet