Question Everything: Clapping

So how do you clap your hands? It's a simple question, right?

• Which hand is on top, or which thumb is on the bottom? (Righties tend to have right on top/left bottom, and lefties the opposite.)
  
• Do you clap fingers-to-palm or palm-to-palm?
• Do you cup your "top" hand to make a more rounded noise or keep it flat for a sharper one?
• Do you keep your elbows in or let space underneath?
• Do you clap quickly or loudly?
• If keeping time with something, do you "bounce" off or keep them together for a moment?

I never thought about how I clapped until I took a body percussion workshop one day. It didn't change how I clapped, but helped me understand my body better. I was able to know the sounds I made and know how to modify them when I wanted.

Sometimes it only takes awareness of a small thing to have a big impact. Look at something you do without thinking - how you grip a steering wheel, how you use chopsticks, how you strike a drum, etc., and ask yourself, how am I doing this?