Sample Lesson
WELCOME
Hi! I’m Ben, your lead instructor. Welcome to this FREE mini-lesson, taken straight from the second module of “Elemental Gong.”
Do you LOVE the sound of gongs but find yourself lost or uncomfortable at the instrument? You are not alone. Most gong “masters” only regurgitate the basics, which most learned from non-percussionist themselves.
My issue there is the cost a student pays for superficial information. How do you test a teacher? Ask them WHY? “Why” is the intention. “Why that instrument?” “Why that mallet?” “Why that sequence?” Like the forgotten youngest sibling in an 80’s John Hughes film. “Why? Why? Why??” And watch for their answer… It seems annoying, sure, but only if you don’t know why.
This course covers the absolute basics through to some advanced techniques I find myself frequently using, coming from 30 years of percussion experience. Everything a gong practitioner or enthusiast would want or need to know to take their mastery to the next level. And not just the WHY but also the HOW. We practice so we can repeat (or avoid!) certain results. If you don’t know how you made a sound, then it’s very unlikely you’ll find your way back to it, or learn the warning signs of a trap.
Honestly, simply developing your sense of “touch” on the gong will put you in the top 1% of practitioners. You “touch” will set you apart from everyone. Great musicians know one another simply by their sound. Touch is our way of creating our own unique voice on the gong. And the world needs your voice!
And I’m nerdy so I keep adding to this course! It’s been up a year and I’m still adding additional resources I find or create. Good thing you get lifetime access with enrollment. The seeds of this community have been planted. Time to grow together!
My deep gratitude to Dinesh Joseph and Dragonfly Percussion for their generous support of this project.
Thank you again for reading/watching. I’m excited to work with you.
Harmoniously yours,
Ben