Clapper (musical instrument)

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A slap stick made by Ludwig.

A clapper is a basic form of percussion instrument. It consists of two long solid pieces that are clapped 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. Several specific forms of clapper have their own names, such as the Chinese guban or the Korean bak. In the classical music of Thailand, two clappers are used: the krab sepha and krab phuong. In the classical music of Thailand, a similar instrument is called krap. In Vietnam, the coin clapper called sinh tiền is widely used. In the Western symphony orchestra, a clapper called the whip (also called slapstick) is occasionally used in the percussion section. Not to be confused with bell clapper.


"Slap stick" redirects here. For the type of comedy, see Slapstick.
"Whip (instrument)" redirects here. For musical use of whips, see Whipcracking.
A whip being used in a marching band pit ensemble

In music, a whip or slapstick is a clapper (percussion instrument) consisting of two wooden boards joined by a hinge at one end. When the boards are brought together rapidly, the sound is reminiscent of the crack of a whip. It is often used in modern orchestras, bands, and percussion ensembles.

There are two types of whips. The first has two planks of wood connected by a hinge, with a handle on each. The percussionist holds the instrument by the handles and hits the two pieces of wood together, creating a loud whip noise. The other type also has two planks of wood, one longer than the other, with one handle, connected with a spring hinge so it can be played with just one hand, though it cannot produce sounds as loud as a whip requiring both hands. This second type of whip is technically a separate instrument called a slapstick.

Usage in classical music[edit]

This list is alphabetical, but is by no means exhaustive.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Cantabile - A Symphonic Suite by Frederik Magle". Retrieved 2012-01-19. 

Further reading[edit]