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The kong ring or gung treng (Khmer: គង់រេង) is a Cambodian tube zither, in which a tube of bamboo is used as a resonator for stings that run along the outside of the tube, lengthwise. It has the same musical purpose as the " bossed gongs" (circular gongs that have a rounded bump in the center, like a shield boss) and may substitute for them and accompany singing. Although it is a traditional instrument with a long history, it has been improved on in modern times. The kong ring is represented by similar instruments in other countries of South Asia and the Pacific.
In Vietnam, a variant exists today, the Đàn goong, that looks like the modern Cambodian instrument, with as many as 17 metal strings and pegs. With instruments made with steel strings the Vietnamese instruments have one end secured inside the bamboo tube, the other wrapped around a peg on the opposite end, to add string tension and to lift the stings off the bamboo tube.
In Thailand, it can be found among the Karenni Kayan people, where it may have as many as 8 bamboo strings cut from the resonator. Among the Kareni, it is used for love songs, providing a "delicate rhythmic accompanyment."
Variants in Malaysia, Madagascar and the Philippines resemble the older style of kong ring, with strings cut from the bamboo tube and bridges placed under the strips of bamboo turned into strings. Placement of the bridges, and the ability to move them, allows for the Valiha to be tuned to different scales.
In Madagascar the instrument is called valiha. In
Video showing kong ring being played.Sound clip of Vietnamese dinh goong playing.Kayaw tube zither being played with singing, lament over lost love.Page has photo of bowed version of a tube zither.
{{Cambodian musical instruments Cambodian musical instruments Zithers Tube zithers
Styles
There are two different syles; the traditional uses bamboo to make the sounding strings, and a more modern style uses new materials.Traditional
Originally, the strings played were created by cutting the outer layer or crust of the bamboo, to separate 7 strings (leaving them attached to the tube at each end), and placing a bridge pressed underneath at each end. Resonance holes were cut under the strings, long and narrow.New materials
Instead of creating strings from bamboo, metal strings can also be used, attached with pegs. A resonator gourd may also be added; this may be less a resonator than a way to stabilize the instrument as it is held against the chest.Asian and Pacific variants
Variants of the Kong ring can be found Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Madagascar and the Philippines.
In Vietnam, a variant exists today, the Đàn goong, that looks like the modern Cambodian instrument, with as many as 17 metal strings and pegs. With instruments made with steel strings the Vietnamese instruments have one end secured inside the bamboo tube, the other wrapped around a peg on the opposite end, to add string tension and to lift the stings off the bamboo tube.
In Thailand, it can be found among the Karenni Kayan people, where it may have as many as 8 bamboo strings cut from the resonator. Among the Kareni, it is used for love songs, providing a "delicate rhythmic accompanyment."
Variants in Malaysia, Madagascar and the Philippines resemble the older style of kong ring, with strings cut from the bamboo tube and bridges placed under the strips of bamboo turned into strings. Placement of the bridges, and the ability to move them, allows for the Valiha to be tuned to different scales.
In Madagascar the instrument is called valiha. In East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
it is the "lakado." In Malaysia it is called karaniing and krem. It is used widely in the Philippines and goes by multiple names including kolitong and kulibit.
Similar tube zithers are believed by some to be the origin of the Chinese Guzheng
The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from ''Paulownia'' wood. Other co ...
Kaufmann, Walter (1976) ''Musical References in the Chinese Classics. Detroit Monographs in Musicology.'' Harmonie Park Press. p. 101. "According to the Shuo Wen the cheng was a bamboo-tube zither. The bamboo tube eventually was replaced by a larger curved wooden board and while in one or two zither types fixed or movable bridges were used, the noble ch'in remained an unfretted instrument. Despite the fact that the cheng is not mentioned in the Classics, it is mentioned here because of its old age. The movable bridges which allowed variable tunings linked the cheng securely with popular music. It still exists side by side with the distinguished ch'in and se. Since the fourth or third centuries B.C. there existed another form of the se, a zither with five (to thirteen) strings, called chu (M 1375). The instrument is not mentioned in the Classics."
References
External links
Video showing kong ring being played.
{{Cambodian musical instruments Cambodian musical instruments Zithers Tube zithers