It's true, children do it and also do it well. But clapping is more varied than you think. Is it appropriate to clap after a allegro in a Mozart concert? And after a sermon in church? And snap your fingers after a poetry reading? Learn to clap the right way.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Techniques for Clapping
Step 1. Clap your hands normally
Open your hands and clap your palms against each other, with your fingers facing up. Tap it hard enough to make a violent sound and powerful enough, but not so hard that your hands are red.
Some people tap the fingers of one hand against the palm of the other. Use the method that suits you best
Step 2. Use the beat of the royals
You know when the Queen comes out of the castle and deigns to applaud her loyal subjects with a short applause? This is what you need to do. A demure heartbeat can be achieved by tapping only the first two fingers of the hand on the palm. It should make little noise, giving the impression of applauding rather than actually contributing to the group.
Step 3. Clap without your hands
Not all cultures require hand-to-hand applause. Learn to use other types of clapping, so you'll be prepared to celebrate in any situation.
- Stomping your feet is a common way of clapping in some sporting groups and events. It produces a thundering sound that can be quite intimidating and fun.
- Knocking on the table after a class was more common than clapping in some boarding schools.
- Snap your fingers or not snap them? The cliché of the hipster with the beret snapping his fingers at a poetry reading is a cliché based on an antiquated 1940s stereotype. If you snap your fingers at a reading, you will probably be the only one doing it. It would be like screaming "Freebird" at a rock concert.
Step 4. Clap silently
In situations where it would be inappropriate to make noise, or when the audience is made up of deaf or hearing impaired people, the common way to clap is to raise your hands with palms facing away from you and sway your fingers.
Sometimes also called "twinkle", this method is also used to show condescension or support to a speaker at meetings, Quaker gatherings, or other events where speaking is not permitted
Step 5. Use the slow heartbeat
A slow clap begins and gradually builds up to a roar. To start a slow beat, start by clapping no more than once every 2 seconds and wait for the others to start increasing the volume and joining as well. Speed up the movement gradually.
Slow clapping can mean many things. Traditionally, slow applause was considered more of a mockery than a celebration, although it is now regarded as an ironic or winky celebration of an "epic" event. For example, you might slowly clap your brother after he cleans the room for the first time
Part 2 of 2: Clapping at the Right Time
Step 1. Don't start clapping until you hear others cheering
Clapping is a great way to show your appreciation, but clapping at the wrong time can seem rude. In some situations, it will be obvious when to clap, but in others it will be more ambiguous. Not sure when to clap? The best way to avoid awkward situations is to wait for more applause, then start clapping.
- Compare the volume of your applause with that of the neighbors to keep the volume at an appropriate level. Match your clapping with that of the crowd.
- Is it appropriate to clap for a soloist in church? After a good movie? After a solo at a concert? The answer varies depending on the situation. Decide based on what's happening around you.
Step 2. Clap to celebrate outstanding performances
The best time for applause is when something exceptional, worthy of a celebration, happens in public. Speeches, sporting events, and concerts are all common occasions for applause.
- Scoring points in a sports competition, or good plays, are usually rewarded with applause in many cultures. In others, melodramatic displays of emotion are frowned upon, but if you clap your hands, you will hardly be frowned upon.
- Most people applaud, at a concert, after each piece and when the performers take the stage or leave it.
- At public speeches, it is common to welcome the speaker to the stage and congratulate him at the end of the speech or performance. Depending on the occasion, it is unusual to clap in the middle of the performance, unless requested by the performer himself. Sometimes accompanying applause may be required: follow the instructions.
Step 3. Stop clapping when the applause begins to subside
When the clapping starts to fade, it is good to stop clapping. Clapping is not an occasion to interrupt the performance, it is an occasion to celebrate it. Calm down with the crowd and don't act stupid.
Step 4. Clap at the end of a concert to request an encore
It is also common to clap as an act of public participation in some musical events and concerts. If the performance was particularly good, keep clapping and trying to get the performer back on stage for another song. At worst, he will come out for one last bow.
As long as you are discreet, clapping your hands in time is a common occurrence at many concerts
Step 5. Clap if they are applauding you
If, for some reason, you are on a stage to be celebrated, clapping your hands together with the rest of those present is a polite and modest maneuver, if done properly. He bows his head in gratitude for the applause, then begins to applaud along with everyone else. If it goes on too long, wave it off and start with in thanks.
Always thank the audience for any applause received. It is also common to incite those present to applaud someone. If, for example, you are giving an important speech and your thesis advisor is present, give him the floor to make him applaud
Step 6. Pay attention to when to clap during classical music concerts
The rules to follow during classical music concerts vary depending on the concert venue, the group of musicians playing, the conductor and the piece. Usually there is applause only at the end of each single piece and, in some cases, between particular movements of a longer composition. In other cases there is applause only to welcome the musicians on stage and at the end of the performance.
- Refer to the schedule for specific clapping instructions, wait to hear other people clapping to be sure.
- It was common in Mozart's day for crowds to be more annoying. The particularly moving passages were applauded by the audience during the performance.
- Many people attribute the modern attitude towards applause to Wagner, whose decision to avoid the curtain call for Parsifal confused some of the audience into believing that absolute silence was absolutely essential.
Step 7. Traditionally, choral music is not applauded and must be enjoyed absorbed and in contemplative silence
On the other hand, in some modern churches, it is very common to celebrate the performance. In Pentecostal churches, clapping is even part of the sermon. Each church will be different, so be careful and get carried away. Don't be the first to clap in church, but join the celebration if you hear the joyful sound of applause.
