Clap Sticks - A Tool for Rhythm & Connection
These ancient percussion instruments are often overlooked due to their simplicity.
However, they are a powerful percussive tool. Instantly creating a rhythm for others to lock into, creating the backbone for rhythm sessions.
The human connection achieved while playing music together is both therapeutic and healing!
This shared experience creates a feeling of joy and a bond that can be hard to achieve in other ways. Great for kids and parents. I love loungeroom jam sessions.
Musical connection is apparent for all ages, from very young to very old. Apart from being a fun musical instrument, clap sticks can also be used for many different developmental and progressive outcomes.
This potent effect is known well to the First Australians, who did not have any known skinned drum instruments. This was their time keeper.
They serve to maintain rhythm during:
- dance
- celebration
- storytime
- songline
- or ceremony.
Often combined with singing, chanting and didgeridoo.
Clap sticks are often called Bilma or Bimli, however they come by many names as there is hundreds of indigenous Australian languages.
Also called Claves, they can be found in many other cultures of the world. Claves is the common name used for the instrument world-wide. Popularised in Afro-Cuban music. See our collection of Claves and Clapsticks here.
Clap Sticks are a great introduction for kids into musical rhythm
- The simplicity keeps the activity easily achievable, even with larger numbers of people playing together.
- Minimal instruction and time is needed to get into basic and then more interesting rhythm structures and patterns.
This overcomes a lot of self-confidence or overthinking issues that clapping can have and forces the point of engaging with rhythm in a simplified way.
Clap Sticks are so much fun and definitely an under-rated musical instrument for kids and families to enjoy together! They allow people to be involved in a musical session regardless of skill level.