Numerical Investigation of Vibrational Modes and Sound Radiation in a Gamelan Gong

Abstract

The gamelan gong holds a central place in Javanese musical and cultural traditions, serving both as a sonic landmark and a symbol within ritual performances. This study numerically investigates the gong’s vibrational behavior and acoustic radiation using a finite element model that captures the coupled structural-acoustic dynamics under realistic boundary conditions. Structural dynamics and coupled acoustic simulations uncover a fundamental mode at 233 Hz, where motion concentrates in the central boss and yields a deep, slowly decaying tone that underpins the ensemble’s cycle. Two higher resonances at 1546 Hz and 2738 Hz exhibit increasingly intricate nodal patterns, producing sharply peaked sound pressure levels up to 150 dB and generating the inharmonic partials that give the gong its characteristic shimmer. Quantitative comparison with ethnomusicological measurements confirms frequency ratios of approximately 6.6 and 11.8 relative to the fundamental.