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Clapping is thepercussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of theirhands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (seeapplause), but also inrhythm as a form ofbody percussion to match the sounds inmusic,dance,chants,hand games, andclapping games.
Some people slap the back of one hand into the palm of the other hand to signify urgency orenthusiasm. This act may be considered uncouth by others.
Clapping is used in many forms of music. In American music, clapping is popular infunk,gospel,doo-wop and earlypop. Inflamenco andsevillanas, two Spanish musical genres, clapping is calledpalmas and often sets the rhythm and is an integral part of the songs. Asampled or synthesized clap is also a staple ofelectronic and pop music.
Classical works performed entirely by clapping
Classical works which include clapping
The clapping patterns known askeplok are important in Javanesegamelan. A type of synthesized clap is popular in many rap andhip-hop songs as well. This is derived from and mimics the technique used in older popular music (e.g.disco andfunk of the 1970s), in which multiple instances of real handclaps were recorded or a single recording was made of a group of performers clapping in unison. This was usually done for the purpose of reinforcing thesnare drum beat on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar (offbeat). ModernR&B, hip hop, and rap often omit the snare drum, making the claps a more obvious and central feature of the beat.
In a medical setting, clapping can be used to open up blocked blood circulation.Clapping can be used inacoustics to check thereverberation time of a room. This is determined by measuring the clap'sdecay time.[2]
Clapping is often used to help people recognize the rhythm in sounds. It can be used to help musicians count out rhythms.
It is also used to teachphonological awareness to students who learn the ways words are constructed. They often clap outsyllables to learn to break words into their component sounds.[3]
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DuringUEFA Euro 2016, Iceland's fans became widely known for their 'volcano clap' (or 'Viking clap') with a 'huh' chant, though it originated with fans of Scottish clubMotherwell F.C.[4]Canberra Raiders fans subsequently adopted the 'Viking clap'.[5][6][7][8] Similarly, fans of theMinnesota Vikings have also adopted the 'Viking clap' to show support for the team, chanting 'skol' rather than the original 'huh' chant.[citation needed]
In the mid 2010s, a practice of clapping as a way to emphasize talking points emerged among African American women, especially when clapping out individual syllables in words. This was pointed out in popular media by the comedianRobin Thede onThe Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.[9] It has since become more widely applied both online, often using the "hand clap" emoji, and in person.[10][11]