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