Clapping...

[crunkedxup]

At the risk of sounding extremely stupid, I've decided to bite the bullet and ask this anyway because it's really getting on my nerves.

Occasionally in (particularly American) folk music and blues you hear rhythmic clapping but it's more than just accenting the beat it's creating a rhythm of it's own. Sometimes it's clearly more than one person but other times it's harder to tell. I've (embarrassingly) tried doing it myself and obviously it sounds nothing like what i want to hear, although without any visual reference i have no idea if i'm doing it the right way or if it's even possible by yourself.

After looking all over google and youtube the closest thing I can find is a Spanish Flamenco thing called "Palmas" which involves using different parts of the hand to make different pitches but it doesn't sound similar and is done slowly in comparison to the examples I am talking about.

i'm basically wondering how people clap like this







(the jamie xx example is probably out of place here, i'd imagine he's doing that on the MPC)

cheers

[tripwire22]

I've seen people do it. You just sorta put your hands together than like slap it back and forth like left to right.

[jam1]

i'm basically wondering how people clap like this

Watch this video at about 7:15 in:



He has 5 backing singers all clapping. The timing of the claps are all slightly different so it creates a really nice, crunchy clap.

Try the "Phenomenal handclaps" technique here: http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/ ... ips-564339

Phenomenal handclaps

Good handclaps are notoriously difficult to capture. One of the best techniques we've found for getting a great stereo clap is to record a pass of about 16 handclaps, two per bar, played on beats 2 and 4. Snip the claps into separate regions and stack them vertically.

Apply a compressor to each of the 16 tracks and spread their pan positions evenly, then bounce to stereo. The retention of each clap's natural timing within the bar should yield a nice, wide stereo effect.

[Attila]

[crunkedxup]

cheers for the replies! i had a feeling it involved more than one person, must be hell to get it all in time.