Types of African Gongs

An African gong is a type of percussion instrument used on a daily basis. In Africa, music has a role in everyday life as well as in special events. It's used in activities related to labor, religion and cultural ceremonies.
Africans make musical instruments from bronze, iron and other materials they find. They often make drums, rattles, gongs and bells from roofing metal, oil drums and soup cans.

Types

Throughout history, African gongs have come in two general types: circular and bell-shape.
The African circular gong is typically made of bronze.
African gongs that are shaped more like bells are made of beaten iron and usually don't come with clappers. They're played by being struck with a metal rod or a wooden stick. They have iron handles and come in two types: two connected gongs with a handle or a singular gong with a handle.
The Agogo bell/gong from Cameroon is a double gong instrument. Double gongs are joined by a metal bar and are two sizes, each with a different pitch.
Single gongs have one pitch. The Alo gong from Nigeria is an example of this type.
Avaga gongs of Ghana are also single gongs, but these have a clapper inside.

Geography

Yoruba gongs are from the Yoruba people of West Africa.
Fang gongs are from the west coast of Africa.
Bamileke gongs are from the Bamileke people in the west province of Cameroon.
Igbo gongs are from the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria.

Function

In ancient Africa, ironworking was thought to have magical dimensions. Iron objects, including African gongs, had value and "virtue" beyond their material usefulness. In the 18th century, iron in sub-Saharan Africa became a high-end commodity and was traded and used as a type of currency.

Potential

African bells and gongs can be viewed as artifacts in museums and purchased in stores. African gongs are available online at drum and percussion sites such as the Drummers Lounge.
The Hamill Gallery of African Art's website is filled with African gongs of all types and prices. The gallery, in Boston, Massachusetts, is open to the public. The website has links to catalogs of African artifacts.

Benefits

If you want to listen to instrumental music featuring African gongs check with Stanford University library's site (see Resources section). The site provides several Internet sources with examples of African music.

Resources

• Variety of African gongs to view or purchase
• Stanford University: South of the Sahara African Music