How the bonshō makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bonshō belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
Bonshō (梵鐘, Buddhist bells), also known as tsurigane (釣り鐘, hanging bells) or ōgane (大鐘, great bells) are large bells found in Buddhist temples throughout Japan, used to summon the monks to prayer and to demarcate periods of time. Rather than containing a clapper, bonshō are struck from the outside, using either a handheld mallet or a beam suspended on ropes.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a bonshō sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the bonshō?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.242.121).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q8192099 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Bonshō – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Syohei Arai – CC BY-SA 4.0