Looking for a gong for meditation, sound healing or sound baths? You are in the right place.
First let me say; there are nearly as many gong styles as there are cultures around the world that employ the gong in their traditions, meditations, customs, rituals and music.
Some gongs make crashing sounds which seem to reverberate infinitely, while others have deeper tones that sound for shorter periods of time. Some gongs have higher pitch, others lower, and they come in many different sizes and designs.
So, how do you find the best gong for meditation or sound therapy for your practice?
My advice is learn about the following gong styles and pick a gong style, size, tone and that has a reverberation length and pitch or tone that resonates with you personally. There are no wrong answers, so let your intuition and inner knowing guide you.
Here are 13 different styles of gongs all of which can be used as a gong for sound healing.
Plus…
…there is a gong style comparison chart after the presentation of the gong styles, you might find handy.
Chau gong (tam-tam)
Chau gongs are also called Tam Tams, and are what many people envision when they hear the word gong.
You might see this gong hung in a wood frame, but in traditional use it was also hung from the ceiling or an overhead beam.
A Chau gong is usually made of brass or copper.
The Chau gong originates in China, and is the most traditional, common gong type.
This gong is flatter than others, but it does curve up in the center and the edge or rim is slightly turned upwards. It is similar in size to a wind gong, but a wind gong is thinner and has a more crashing crescendo, whereas the Chau gong has a more controlled sound. Both have a long sustain.
This gong is sometimes known as the bullseye gong because the black oxidation that formed when the gong was made is left on the center and edges, while the rest is polished to reveal the shiny brass finish, leaving it look like a bullseye.
The Chau gong is very popular for use by sound bath practitioners. It comes in many sizes, although it is usually considered a large gong. The tone or pitch is deep, compared to some other styles.
My opinion is that the chau gong is the best gong for sound healing because of the long, controlled, rich, full resonance it has. It is certainly my favorite sound bath gong style, which is why it is the first gong style I presented in this lineup.
Nipple Gong
A nipple gong is typically made of cast bronze and is thicker or denser than more common gong styles. It does not have the strong crashing or shimmering sound that these other gongs have.
This gong is always used with a soft mallet, and it does not matter how hard or soft you hit it, the sound will last the same length of time either way, which is a short period of time compared with more common gong styles.
The nipple gong has two tones, one deeper pitched tone when you hit the nipple (also called the boss) and another higher pitched tone when you hit the area around the nipple.
The nipple gong is used by Buddhists in southeast Asia, China, Indonesia, Mynamar, Burma and Philippines. In fact, I have a friend who has recently acquired one of these Burmese nipple gongs and I intend to ask him where he got it.
I like this gong for sound bath because of the variable tone and deeper pitch when the nipple is struck, but just be aware that it will need to be struck more often than chau or wind gong because of its short reverberation time, for instance. Despite its short reverberation is is a popular choice for baths and this style gong is among the best type of gong for sound healing.
Dora Gong
The Dora Gong is a Japanese instrument that may have originated in China. The Dora Gong is hung from a cord, sometimes made from suede and is hung inside a dora frame, which is a wood frame. The dora gong can also be hung from the ceiling.
They are commonly made from bronze which is an alloy of copper and tin. It fact, the Japanese character used to write the word Dora includes the character for the word for copper in Japanese.
The Dora gong is usually struck by a baton called a batchi, which is a carved wood baton with a soft head made from leather or suede.
The Dora gong has a long lasting resonance and is used for Buddhist memorials because the sound is thought to reach the ¨other shore¨ of the pure land, or the afterlife.
A dora gong can be hard to find, and the only ones I have seen sold are sold as antique gongs.
They are however somewhat similar to this wind gong thanks to the crashing sound, bronze material and wood frame, which is easy to find in the marketplace.
Opera Gong or Tiger Gong
An Opera gong is traditionally used to introduce players in the Chinese opera.
Traditionally, they are handheld and are a pair, with the larger gong introducing prominent players, men, and the smaller gong introducing women and less prominent players, or to highlight a humorous portion of the presentation.
As far as sound goes, these gongs have a very short sustain when struck. The larger gong has a descending tone, while the smaller gong has an ascending tone.
The tiger gong is typically larger than an opera gong, and have a descending tone or downward glissando when played.
The tiger gong is able to produce many different effects, and can even be partially submerged in water for further distortion and effect. The Tiger gong can add variety to your sound bath, that’s for sure.
Malaysian Suwukan Gong , Gamelan Gong, Kettle gongs or Agung or kulintang gongs
The Malaysian Suwukan Gong is a pot style gong with a center nipple or boss made of cast bronze. It has a short sustain and a deep sound relative to its size.
The Malaysian Suwukan Gong is similar to the kettle gong, the Gamelan gong and the Ageng gong in design and appearance.
They were traditionally used in Indonesian and Malaysian orchestra.
They do not have a crashing sound like a traditional cymbal, but instead has a deep rumbling pitch that brings to mind the rumbling of a storm coming or a large wave approaching the shore.
The large gong ageng, from the set of gamelan gongs are said to have a spirit inside and you will often see two carved wooden serpents on the gong frame that protect this spirit.
This type of gong is hard to make, and often has to be recast several times to get it just right. These gongs are not mass produced by anyone I know of, but I dream of having one of these soul touching gongs in my sound healing practice.
This gong with frame is very hard to find, so short of taking a trip to Indonesia or Bali, good luck finding one. If you know of someone who offers this beautiful gong, in the serpent or dragon frame, please let me know so I can share with my inquiring readers.
This large gong has a deep powerful sound that many find moving and calming during a sound bath or during personal meditation, if they are fortunate enough to experience its rumble.
Wuhan Bao Gong
The Wuhan Bao Gong features a nipple, bell or boss in the center. This gong is a bronze alloy, from Copper and tin. It is cast as one piece and hand hammered for finishing.
This gong is used in symphonies, opera and other musical and theatrical events to add drama and highlight comedy.
The Wuhan Bao Gong is handheld, and has a clear tone and short resonance. It makes a simple addition to a sound bath and has a unique, almost rustic look I find appealing.
Jing, Kkwaenggwari or Korean Gong
The Kkwaenggwari is a brass gong used in traditional Korean folk music such as and other styles.
The kkwaenggwari is held in the left hand and struck my the right with a wood mallet. The fingers of the left hand can control the dampening of the timbre. Its sound is high pitched and it can make a crashing cymbal like timbre if it’s hit hard enough.
The Kkwaenggwari was also used in the field to encourage workers and is sometimes known as the farmers gong.
While the Korean gongs are hard to get a hold of many travelers have been able to acquire them and serious gong collectors like to have the Korean gongs as part of their collection and they are used in sound healing therapy and meditation when they can be acquired.
The Jing gong is larger than the kkwaenggwari but it is still a handheld gong and was traditionally used by shamans, Buddhists and is also used in Samullori or samulnori, like its cousin the kkwaenggwari.
Silat Gong
Silat is a traditional martial art of Indonesia, a popular and striking martial arts style that is sometimes incorporated into MMA fighting styles.
The Silat gong is used in a music ensemble that follows the rhythm of the Silat performers and adds to the theatrical suspense of this fighting style. The faster the fighters move, the faster the music is played. It’s a true audio visual experience.
The Silat gong has also been used in sound healing, and sound therapy thanks to its unique sound as a steel gong, as opposed to brass or other alloys. It has a deep pitch and short sustain. It is actually one of my favorite sounding drums, as it can be very rhythmic, intense, and hypnotizing.
The silat gong has a raised boss and inner disk and produced a variety of tones, so it is versatile. And if you ever want to overlay martial arts sound to a video of your cats fighting, for the perfect instagram reel, this is the ideal gong for that.
Malaysian Canang Gongs
The Suspended canang gong is a traditional Malaysian musical instrument used in Malaysian Wayang Kulit and Mak Yong music.
This gong is in a wood box frame that sits on the floor and the gong or set of gongs are suspended in the frame by a series of ropes.
These smaller gongs are played from the floor and have a relatively high pitch and short resonance, so when using for a gong bath, they must be struck continually, but they offer a pleasant, lilting tone that I find energizing.
Wind gong or Feng Gong
Wind gongs are another popular style gong for sound therapy and among the most affordable gong for sound baths.
The reason?
They have a long sustain, that gives them the capability to reverberate for an extended period of time.
This gong is also capable of making a dramatic crashing sound, which earned it the name Wind gong.
While the reverberation on the wind gong is not as controlled as the Chau gong, it is nevertheless used as a gong for meditation. The sound is energizing and would be good for the wrap up of a meditation to bring folks “back into the room”.
The wind gong originated in China and is typically made from brass, but occasionally is made from a nickel-silver alloy.
Typically, a wind gong is large and many times hung in a gong frame.
Rin Gong, Standing Bell or Tibetan singing bowl
It is very common to see a Tibetan singing bowl in sound therapy, but what might surprise you is that this charming instrument is actually a style of bell that is sometimes also considered a gong.
(The difference between a bell and a gong, technically speaking, is a gong reverberates towards the center and a bell towards the rim when struck with a mallet)
In fact, the use of these bell style gongs as singing bowls, is a relatively modern use. The Traditional Standing bell, or Tibetan bell was used as a bell or gong.
The fact that you can strike this bell, or sing it with a mallet makes this a diverse and popular choice for sound bath and sound therapy. Many even use the singing bowl for personal meditation sessions. In my opinion the singing bowl is the best type of gong for sound healing if you are on a tight budget or have limited space.
If you are looking for more Tibetan gongs for sale, I have a list of Tibetan gong sets here and a list of large Tibetan singing bowls here.
If you are interested in a singing bowl, there are also crystal singing bowls and crystal singing pyramids that have their own unique vibration and you can learn more about these mystical instruments here.
Sculptural Gong
Sculptural gongs are veritable works of art that serve as musical instruments.
Gong Sculptures are hand crafted and generally, one of a kind, not mass produced and challenging to get a hold of.
Sculptural gongs are sometimes commissioned pieces that you could have made by contacting a gong sculpture artist like Steve Hubback, Matt Nolan or Barry Mason.
Because of their distinctive essence, sculptural gongs are a sought after instrument for sound bath and therapy practice.
Quick Comparison chart: review of the 13 best gongs for meditation
Best Gong for Meditation FAQs
What are Gongs used for?
Traditionally gongs have been used for many diverse purposes.
From highlighting drama in a Chinese opera, adding drama and suspense to a martial arts match, gathering folks to dinner, or as a wakeup call, gongs are used in Buddhist temples and memorial services as well as gongs are used for meditation and sound healing.
This is only a short list of examples of how gongs are used. If you would like to expand on this please leave a comment below so I can add it.What is gong meditation and sound healing?
When struck, a gong creates a reverberation unlike any other instrument. The sound feels hallowed and piercing, driving right to the heart of the listener.
The gong can have a deep calming reverberation that seems to go on forever, or it can have an energizing crash and simmer that awakens your senses.
Either way, there is no denying the vibration of the gong is healing. The vibration of the gong can coax your energy field into resonance with the gongs vibrations, lifting you up, or relaxing you, depending on the gongs own vibration.
The long drone of a gong with a lengthy sustain is conducive to meditation. The Chau gong, known for its seemingly infinite sustain, is one of the best gongs for meditation and sound baths because of this property.Where can I learn how to use gongs in my sound healing Practice?
I have curated this list of resources that may help you learn how to use the gong in your meditation or sound healing practice.
Gong Consciousness: Self-Healing Through the Power of Sound
Gong Consciousness is a great guide book for sound healing practitioners. It is a foundational book aimed at those new to using the gong, yet the book covers everything the practitioner needs to use gongs to target various body and energy conditions. It is a well rounded, easy to digest resource on gong healing.
Gong Therapy
This gong therapy book, written by renown Kundulini Yoga teacher and Vedic astrologist Methab, is geared towards the practice of sound therapy in one on one and group settings. It prepares you by teaching how to create the right environment, how to address the clients specific needs, how to select a gong for sound therapy, using mudras, mantras, and pranayamas Therapeutically and includes a guided meditation and relaxation for gong Therapy.
In the Heart of the Gong Space: The Gong as a Spiritual Tool
The heart of the Gong space is another useful resource for the sound therapy practitioner. It was written by well known sound healing with gong practitioner Sheila Whittaker.
The book offers guidance on technique, talks about the use of other instruments used in sound therapy such as singing bowls and offers some interesting history about gongs.
Where this book is different from the others on this list is that it meanders into esoteric subjects such as expanding consciousness, spiritual growth, astrology, subtle energy and Psychic knowing or intuition enhancement using the gong.
Gongs and Tam-Tams: A Guide for Percussionists, Drummers and Sound Healers
This detailed gong resource digs into the details of the gong itself, including gong types, gong making process, and of course, playing techniques.
This is a well researched book written by a gong enthusiast and sound healing student Phil McNamara, who studied with Sheila Whittaker (author of the book In the heart of the Gong Space) at the College of Sound Healing.
This wraps up our collection of gongs for meditation and gong for sound healing.
If you are interested in other sound healing instruments, why not check out my articles on the eurythmic handpan, the crystal signing pyramid, or the earthy, penetrating shaman drum ?
Thats all for now beautiful souls.
Until next time, love and light to you!
Katie Lyn
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