Cymbals & Gongs

Percussion Instruments

Any instrument that creates sound when it’s hit or scraped is called a percussion instrumentPercussion often keeps the rhythm for the entire group, especially in genres like jazz and rock. There are dozens of different percussion instruments, but only two overall types: pitched and unpitched.

Gongs

The gong is a percussion instrument that can fall into either the pitched or unpitched categories. In other words, gongs can be tuned or untuned. Unpitched gongs are better for beginners because the sound is more versatile, depending on the force and position of the hit. The size and shape of the gong also impacts the sound, giving the player a wide selection to choose from.

Cymbals

Most cymbals are unpitched, with the tone determined by the size, thickness, shape, and finish—brilliant or traditional. There are different types of cymbals, sold in sets geared to a specific timbre and use. The most common are crash, ride, and hi-hats. Ride and hi-hat cymbals are best for keeping rhythm, while drummers use crash cymbals to add occasional accents.

History of gongs and cymbals

The origins of gongs can be traced back to China around the sixth century, and even today we associate them with Eastern traditions such as Buddhist meditations. However, they’ve also found their way into multiple music genres. John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, for example, used a 38” Paiste Symphonic Gong as part of his kit.

Cymbals are an offshoot of gongs that have become much more common in contemporary music, and most drum sets include them. Adorama carries a full selection of cymbals for all different types of music and styles of play, including rock, contemporary, jazz, pop, blues, country, hip-hop, and classical.