Clapper (musical instrument)

A clapper is a basic form of percussion instrument. It consists of two long solid pieces that are struck together producing sound. A straightforward instrument to produce and play, they exist in many forms in many different cultures around the world. Clappers can take a number of forms and be made of a wide variety of material. Wood is most common, but metal and ivory have also been used. The plastic thundersticks that have recently come to be popular at sporting events can be considered a form of inflated plastic clapper.

A slap stick manufactured by Ludwig

Several specific forms of clapper have their own names, such as the Chinese guban, Japanese hyoshigi, or the Korean bak. In the classical music of Thailand, a similar instrument is called krap. In India cooking tongs or चिमटा itself is often used to provide rhythm while singing religious hymns in many cultures (sometimes tongs made specifically for the purpose are also equipped with bells). In Vietnam, the coin clapper called sinh tiền is widely used. In medieval French music, clappers called tablettes or cliquettes were used.[1] In the Western symphony orchestra, a clapper called the whip (also called slapstick) is occasionally used in the percussion section.

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  David playing the harp, accompanied by a plucked fiddle and clappers. Germany or France, circa 795 A.D. Clappers from the Carolingian Empire appear to have been disks or possibly chimes attached to sticks.
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  Clapper with the shape of a human hand. Probably elephant ivory. From Gurob, Fayum, Egypt. 18th Dynasty. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London