Kong thom

The "kong thom" plays a melodic line in the Cambodian "pinpeat" ensemble almost identical to that of the roneat thung (large xylophone). The "kong thom" dwells more steadily on the pulse without pulling or delaying the beat (melody). The player uses soft mallets for indoor performance, hard ones for outdoors.

The gong circle-maker creates sixteen bossed gongs made of copper with bronze admixture. He suspends them on rattan frames in a circle around the player. He tunes the individual gongs by dripping into the upturned boss a mixture of mud-lead, rice husks, and beeswax.

The "kong thom"'s smaller cousin is called kong toch.

ee also

*Kong toch