Ching
Encyclopedia
The ching are small bowl-shaped finger cymbal
s of thick and heavy bronze
, with a broad rim commonly used in Cambodia
and Thailand
. They are made of an alloy
(mixture of iron
, copper
, and gold
) mixed with bronze
. They measure about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and are joined together with a cord, which passes through a small hole at the apex of each one of them. Each cymbal of the pair is held in one hand and the two are struck together. The ching are the timekeepers of the ensemble.
While cymbals, in general, are used for various occasions (ritual, martial, theater, and at war), the Khmer people
use them purely in theater, dance
, and music
contexts. They produce open and closed sounds—chhing and chhepp—marked respectively by the signs (o) and (+) in transcriptions. To produce the open sound—chhing—the cymbal in the right hand hits the other in the left with an outward sliding motion, while the closed sound—chhepp—is produced by hitting both cymbals and holding them together; thus dampening the sound. The chhing and chhepp or open and closed sounds of the ching mark the unaccented (o) and accented (+) beats in the actual music making.
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s of thick and heavy bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, with a broad rim commonly used in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. They are made of an alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
(mixture of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
) mixed with bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. They measure about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and are joined together with a cord, which passes through a small hole at the apex of each one of them. Each cymbal of the pair is held in one hand and the two are struck together. The ching are the timekeepers of the ensemble.
While cymbals, in general, are used for various occasions (ritual, martial, theater, and at war), the Khmer people
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
use them purely in theater, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
contexts. They produce open and closed sounds—chhing and chhepp—marked respectively by the signs (o) and (+) in transcriptions. To produce the open sound—chhing—the cymbal in the right hand hits the other in the left with an outward sliding motion, while the closed sound—chhepp—is produced by hitting both cymbals and holding them together; thus dampening the sound. The chhing and chhepp or open and closed sounds of the ching mark the unaccented (o) and accented (+) beats in the actual music making.