Bamboo Clap Stick or Board

[ironflower]

Hello,

I am a Korean musician (primarily a drummer) and I am looking at ways to construct a bamboo clapper that some use in Buddhist practices (to signal and to keep nodding mediators awake!). Does anyone know how these are made? I don't have a model of one either. Any photos?

I am also interest in cutting a small piece of bamboo to fasten to my drums to provide a "rim shot."
See ... Bamboo `rim shot' for drums? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1328)

Thank you in advance for any suggestions and I'm glad to meet fellow bamboo enthusiasts.

[Mark Meckes]

Hello Ironflower, and thanks for writing!
The sound of bamboo clapping together is an intriguing subject.
Bamboo can be heard clapping together in a grove on a windy day, during harvest, while gathering the poles, while stacking and sorting drying poles, and after cutting the bamboo into sections for projects, and sorting through pieces.
It is a very vocal plant, and at various times I find myself enamored by the sound that pieces of bamboo make, thinking about it's natural potential as a percussion or other musical instrument.
Usually though, the pieces have been designated to become something other than a musical instrument, as this is not my speciality.

First is the subject of defining what is actually a clapper.
Can two sticks held independently of each other and tapped together be defined as a clapper?
If so, then the scope of bamboo clappers are endless!
For example, a bamboo scraper, ie a bamboo piece with a series of grooved notches, if tapped with another stick is a clapper, if scraped is a scraper!

Then there are clappers in which two separate pieces are held in one hand and clapped together. A curved tube partially cut out acts as a resonating chamber, the tone which can be adjusted by the way that the curved tube is placed on the palm of the hand. Bamboo tubes can be slipped over a finger or two and clapped against the other piece of bamboo ...

There are clappers made of a round piece of bamboo which has been split or cut down most of the center, resulting in a buzzing or kthwacking sound.

Then there are bamboo clappers in which the center of the internode has been cut out lengthways and other jinglers or clappers are suspended in between the two remaining strips on the bamboo stick, and the whole instrument is tapped ... a variation of tambourines ...

And there are bamboo clappers made of various size pieces or strips of bamboo, all secured at one end, or secured at a pivotal point, which when tapped produce a specific sound or range of sounds.

Anyway these are just a few thoughts, and when I have time I would like to tinker around with these ideas some more and will post some pics.

Mark

[ironflower]

Thank you Mark for your reply.

I was thinking of the one with the bamboo split down the middle so that two flaps are made. The whole bamboo piece is then swung against the palm of the hand or another object. Yes, if you have any photos or resources please forward them to me. I'm having no luck doing searches on the web. Perhaps I should visit a Buddhist temple...

[sound world]

Go and look at my website http://www.sound-world.co.uk and look at Rattlesticks in the Percussion section.
These are made by cutting a 2' or so length of c.1.5" bamboo ,drilling out two oval holes c. 2" long,on opposite sides, just above a node(which should be roughly 8-9" from one end).
Split down (2 splits,one each side) to the holes from the opposite end.The non-split part is the handle.Whack the handle near the base with your free hand to get the sound of the split halves clapping together.
Doesn't work? Hone the space between the ovals to make the halves flex more.
I saw these being used in Southern Spain years ago.