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A circular PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT, the gong
may be tuned or of indefinite PITCH; it is common in Oriental
and Asian musical life but relatively specialized in Western
music. Gongs are suspended or cradled on cords, and they must
be struck in the center because they lack resonance at the
edges. They were known in China before the 6th century and
spread through Asia and Africa before being introduced into
Europe. Gongs are important components of the Javanese GAMELAN
and the gagaku, the Japanese court orchestra. By the end of
the 18th century, Western composers had begun to introduce
gongs into concert music.
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