One of the oldest musical instruments in the world, a gong has a flat metal disc that vibrates when struck with a mallet.The Chinese gong is the most common form of gong in the Western world.These gongs are hammered into shape from brass or bronze.You can make a Chinese gong at home using a few improvised materials, even though it's out of the financial and technical reach of most people.The project is great for making musical instruments for children or augmenting a collection of improvised percussion instruments.
Step 1: Take your materials.
You will need a disposable cake or pie pan, an electric drill, and string or twine to hang your homemade gong.You can use almost anything for a mallet, but it will need a long handle and a soft head.
Step 2: The pie pan needs to be hung.
The string will need to be suspended with holes.The electric drill should be a bit larger in diameter than the string.There are 2 holes near the top of the pan.
Step 3: The string should be looped through the gong.
Begin by passing the string through the first hole from the back to the front.A loop of string about the same diameter as the pie pan can be created by tying the loose end of the string to the other side.Use scissors to cut off excess string.
Step 4: Hit the gong with a mallet.
The materials you already have in your home can be used to make a gong mallet.A small mallet can be made by poking a pencil through a wine cork.Hit the center of the gong with the cork end if you hold the pencil in your hand.An alternative is to use a long object such as a pencil or wooden spoon and wrap electric tape around one end to form a bulb shape.The taped end can be used to hit the gong.
Step 5: If you want, you can suspend the gong from the stand.
You can strike the gong with your free hand if you hold it from the stringed loop.You can build a Chinese gong from materials you have around your home.The string loop should be hung from the horizontal brace.The supports can be made from a variety of household materials.