Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Balinese gamelan gongs are percussion instruments of special interest because of their unique shape and sound. Unlike a Chinese tam-tam, the gongs are thick and deep, with a protruding dome in the center and long edges that sharply wrap around the circumference of the gong. When struck, the larger gongs are designed to produce a strong beating pattern. Recent work in both the analytical modeling and high-resolution measurements of the gong has advanced our understanding of the physics of this suite of instruments. However, there is still much to be understood about the influence of the shape of the gong and what boundary conditions to expect from an instrument of the dimensions described. This paper will present measurements and discussion of the nature of both the gong’s boundary conditions and its back cavity. Both will be used to support the continued development of theoretical models of the gong.
Harwood et al. (Fri,) studied this question.