Celebrate Chinese New Years with your own Make-At-Home Chinese Gong!
Were you born in the year of the pig or the ram or the rat? Well, on January 23rd, we will all enter the year of the dragon. What better way to celebrate a new year or a special occasion then being able to bang a gong? And you can make one from items you have around your kitchen or craft area. (A complete list of supplies is below).
What is a gong? It’s a large hanging percussion instrument that you strike with a stick or a beater for a wonderful, loud resonant sound that will definitely make anyone around you sit up and take notice. In ancient China, it’s said that gongs called farmers in from the fields and some were so loud that they could be heard almost 50 miles away!
The first step to making your own gong is finding something that can be the large metal “dish”. My favorite choice for this is a disposable metal turkey roaster (available from any Dollar or grocery store). If you don’t have one available, you can try a large disposable metal cake pan or even smaller pie tins. But remember, the larger the pan, the better the sound.
Your next step is to make two holes in the top area of your metal pan – about 2 – 3 inches apart. Then, slip a pipecleaner through each hole and twist the ends together to form a circle. Now you have your hanging gong. But, what will it hang from?
For an easy movable stand, take two chairs and set them about two to three feet apart, facing outward. On top of the chairs, place a cardboard tube from wrapping paper or a large stick or broomstick. Slip the handles of your gong onto the stick and it will hang down perfectly. Check out these pictures to see how it works. (indicate picture location).
Would you like to decorate your gong? Make it fancy, funny or ornate? You can add Chinese symbols or stickers, paint, glitter and glue to make your own gong unique and special. After it’s dry, you can put it back in place, ready to be played.
Lastly, you’ll need a beater to strike the gong. Take a 12 or 18” wooden dowel and wrap one side with electrical tape to form a head. That’s the side that will strike the gong. If you don’t have a wooden dowel, you can substitute a wooden spoon, a chopstick or an unsharpened pencil, just wrap the head the same way on the end that will strike the gong.
SUPPLIES
- A metal (disposable) roasting pan (the larger the better)
- Pipecleaners or yarn
- Cardboard Tube From Wrapping Paper
- Paint, stickers, glitter, glue or textured paint for decorating the gong
- For the beater: 12 – 18” wooden dowel electrical tape
To discover more musical and multicultural ideas, you can visit DARIA’s award-winning website located at www.dariamusic.com.
