| Description |
The brass gone was called the"naji: zaja dhe" in Bagan days. It is learned from Queen Saw's lithic inscription in North Guni pagoda that wealthy persons used to dedicate musical instruments to the pagoda. The brass gong was one of the ten instruments of the Bagan period. It has a special melody to itself, kyei thaw.The brass gong circle (kjei: wain:) has 18 or 19 brass gongs in a circle similar to the drum circle.
It accompanies the drum circle and the hne. Its sound is more melodious than the sound of the framed gongs (maun: zain:). The player strikes the boss on the gong with a mallet. Two mallets are used for the two hands, and when required, the sound is dampaned by the free fingers. The gong is tuned by adjusting the amount of beeswax attached inside the boss. The brass gong player is generally the number two man in the ensemble. |
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