Kong thom

The kong thom (Khmer: គង់ធំ) 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 kong thom is analogous to the khong wong yai used in Thailand.

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.

See also

• Kong toch