Body Percussion

Wikipedia on body- percussion (short adapted version)

Body percussion may be performed on its own or as an accompaniment to song. The folk traditions of many countries include the use of body percussion.

Body percussion sounds

Percussion instruments produce their sound when a player hits, scrapes, rubs or shakes them to produce vibrations. These techniques can also be applied to the human body. The body also presents several unique possibilities including the use of inhaled or exhaled air and vocal sounds.

Traditionally the four main body percussion sounds (in order from lowest pitch to highest in pitch) are:

    Stomp: Stamping the feet against the floor or a resonant surface.
    Patsch: patting either the left, right or both thighs with hands
    Clapping hands together
    Click/ snapping: clicking with the thumb and middle fingers

However, there are numerous other possibilities including: hitting the chest, whistling, slapping or flicking the cheeks with an open mouth, clicking with the tongue against the roof of the mouth, grunting and hitting the buttocks.

Variations of sound are possible through changing the playing technique. For example, clapping the hands in various positions will affect factors such as pitch and resonance.

Body percussion is used extensively in music education, because of its accessibility—the human body is the original musical instrument and the only instrument that every student possesses. Using the body in this manner gives students a direct experience of musical elements, such as beat, rhythm, and metre and helps a student internalise rhythmic skills.

Body percussion may be performed solo or several performers may combine to create an musical ensemble


Nederlandse vertaling van deze tekst op https://beenhakkers.nl/body-percussion/
Dutch translation of this text at

Nice video: people the world over stomp, clap, sing, snap and chant traditional and
contemporary Body Music - music you can SEE, dance you can HEAR.

Beenhakkers Slagwerk / Percussion Beenhakkers
drumcircles & communicatie-trainingen / communication trainings
energizers boomwhackers & clappy-happy
stem-happening & stem-bevrijding / voice happening & voice-liberation workshops percussie / workshops percussion
voor bedrijven, trainingen en groepen / for companies, training and groups

Ritmecoaching: ritmecoach.nl / rhythm-coach.com

Drumcircles according to Arthur Hull and others

In the words of Arthur Hull: “The Community Drum Circle is a fun entry-level learning experience that is accessible to anyone who wants to participate. Drum Circle participants express themselves collectively by using a chorus of tuned drums, percussion, and vocals to create a musical song together while having a great time.”

According to Mickey Hart: “The Drum Circle is a huge jam session. The ultimate goal is not precise rhythmic articulation or perfection of patterned structure, but the ability to entrain and reach the state of a group mind. It is built on cooperation in the groove, but with little reference to any classic styles. So this is a work in constant progress, a phenomenon of the new rhythm culture emerging here in the West.”

from the page Drum Circles Defined: What is a Drum Cicle

Drum Circle Widens Into a United Nations of Beats

Nice video about the drum circle at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC.

People with musical instruments come ready to play. Strangers get up to dance. Crowds gather around. You can find them each Sunday at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC. For years, Willy Posey has been part of the Meridian Hill Park drum circle.

Anarchistic thunder drumcircle videos

Anarchistic thunder drumcircle videos
Only one rule: no rules!
And don't  tell anyone what to do! :-)
Chaotic but fun
With new and old hippies present ;-)

Pipe Guy - House/Trance/Techno Live

Playing a live set in Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia on my homemade PVC pipe instrument, played with a pair of thongs (flip flops to the non-Aussie viewers :P)