Acoustical analysis of Vietnamese flat and bossed gongs before and after tuning.

One Vietnamese gong set of nine flat and six bossed gongs was acoustically studied. Main partial (primary pitch) for the flat gong was estimated by human hearing sense, suggesting that the primary pitch was the second partial for flat gongs and the third partial for bossed gongs. Tuning controlled the balance of these primary pitches among the other partials and made two octaves (about 1200 and 1250 cents) within one gong set more distinct in both flat and bossed gongs. All the gongs were related to each other by a perfect fifth and/or the above two octaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]