The loudest clapper in the world?
Posted by Capri on July 28, 2007
* Zhang Quan *
A Chinese man is hoping to get into the record books – by clapping his hands.
Zhang Quan, 70, of Chongqing city, had his clapping monitored by local environmental protection officials, reports Chongqing Business News.
His claps apparently measured 107 decibels – three decibels lower than whirling helicopter blades.
Workers from the environmental protection bureau say Zhang could face arrest for noise pollution if he claps too often.
But Zhang says that is unlikely to happen.
“When I am clapping, even my own ears feels painful, no mentioning of others. That’s why I usually don’t clap,” he said.
Gwood said
hey Zhang, i’m here to say that i am americas loudest clapper. i totally annoy the dorm next to me all the time with my extraordinary abilities. I will take your old ass on in a clap off anyday. louder than a jet engine baby!
jessica w said
Hey Gwood, whoever you are…..you may be americas loudest clapper, but I’m the WORLDS loudest!!! And that’s official!! My claps are louder than a rocket taking off! I could whup you anyday in a clap-off. I’ve never been beaten yet!
Jessica.
David said
Jessica,
If you are the “worlds loudest” prove it. show some evidence to back up your claim.
Jessica W said
Dear David
Ok, ok….maybe I am not the “official” loudest clapper in the world, but in my school lab my clap was recorded at 109db at a distance of one metre from the microphone….louder than Zhangs!! I have a reputation as by far the loudest clapper in the school (I am 17)….even in the town, maybe, so my physics teacher decided to measure it. I have often times been put out of school for “clapping at an inappropriate level” and always turn heads whenever I clap. And I always win in a “clap off” even against the biggest guys, who keep trying to beat me. All my friends and family tell me that I have the loudest clap in the world….so who am I to argue, David!!
One day I just might just contact Guinness Book of Records and get the evidence to back up my claim.
Keep clapping
Jessica
clapmanjohn said
im english, i have the loudest clap ever. get told this everyday and hav also never lost a clap-off. i can clap with 1 2 3 or 4 fingers and can clap just as loud on the side of my stomach, the bit of my arm between my elbo and a few places on my legs. i think i win… and with one hand backwards slapping on the other probably being louder aswell.
Jessica W said
Well Clapmanjohn….you can certainly clap in some rather interseting ways. You win on that one haha! Never tried “clapping” my stomach or my legs (sounds painful). I just excel in the straightforward palm to palm cupped hand clap stakes!
Love to have a clap off against you as long as you promise not to use your tumtum drum! And don’t forget I’m Australian….we always beat you Brits…well, nearly always hahaha!
Jess
Jackie W said
I found this story rather amusing as I’m always getting told that I have the loudest clap in the world! I have pretty big hands for a woman (I’m 27) with very hollow palms, and my “party trick” is that I can squeeze my hands together to produce a very realistic “farting” sound….infantile, I know, but it can be a laugh after a few drinks. Also, I can clap really loudly and if I cup my hands just right it sounds like a paper bag full of air bursting….a huge BANG! Seriously, if I do it somewhere which echoes well it sounds amazing.
Just thought I would mention it lol!
Jackie
Joel said
Sounds interesting Jackie. I actually did a study on this for a music class. There are actually percussion ensembles where ppl just clap….but they do it in different ways.
First of all HOW are you positioning your hands when you clap? Fingers to palm? (the usual way ppl do it) or Palm to palm? (and palm to palm can be done flat like you are praying, or crossed in an X (cheerleader way). Also..is this particular position your usual way you applaud? or just used for party tricks as you say.
Second….you mentioned you have big hands…that can add to the sound. Are you by chance tall?
Joel
Jackie W said
Hi Joel
Great to know I am not a freak…. maybe I could join a percussion ensemble hahaha. When I clap normally I tend to slap the fingers of my left hand into the cupped palm of my right (like most people). This is pretty loud but not exceptionaly so. To make my really deafening clap I sort of cup my hands to form deep hollows and bang them together so they form a close fit. This must squeeze the trapped air and then release it like a paper bag bursting. It doesn’t happen every time I do it, but if I catch it just right it is incredibly loud and makes an enourmous “bang”, which amazes people who hear it. They just can’t beleve a handclap can be so loud! The shape of my hands is somewhere in between praying and the cheerleader clap so that my hands are at an angle of about 25-30 degrees to each other (getting technical now lol!). Try it…it might work for you. Maybe my hands are just the right length against width…wrist to fingertip is 8″ and palm width (excluding thumb) is 3.7″…very big for a female, I know. I am 5′7″ tall and pretty slim btw, and take a UK size 7 shoe.
I would be really interested in your thoughts on this , Joel. Everyone who has heard my “loud” clap has found it difficult to explain.
Take care
Jacks
Joel said
Tell you what Jackie…..email me at my secondary email address: theredtail2005@aim.com. We can go from there. I have questions for ya still. Joel
Jackie W said
Hiya Joel
I would prefer it if you asked any questions on this forum….if you don’t mind. Feel free to ask what you want, within reason of course lol!
Jacks
Joel said
Well I was going to suggest talking over an instant messenger. you can get any old name on one of those. I just don’t want the whole world seeing our dialogue.
Know what I mean?
Jackie W said
I hardly think the whole world is reading our little dialogue with baited breath lol! I don’t think my “amazing hand tricks” will be on News at Ten or whatever they have in your neck of the woods, Joel. I thought you were interested in my weird abilities from a purely scientific standpoint!!
Jacks
Joel said
was not trying to hit on you in any way, Jacks.
Lessee….. you say your usual applause clap is left fingers to right palm….this make you a lefty?
Also… when you applaud this way..do you get a high pitched sharp sound? or a lower pitched hollow sound? SHould be one or the other. Lemme know.
Jackie W said
Hiya Joel
Sorry…I wasn’t trying to be rude or anything, and anyway you probably live in the US…yes? I’m in West Yorkshire btw. I think you are pretty sweet to take such an interest in my weird “talent”….most people just say “do you have to clap so @&**@*& loud Jacks” haha.
You are pretty hot on your clapping Joel….yes, I am a leftie lol! Well spotted sir! I usually applaud this way because I don’t want to be too loud and annoy people and also it is so much easier. My “super clap” takes quite a bit of effort and, like I said, it doesn’t work every time…the cupping has to be perfect to get the big sound. My usual fingers to palm clap sounds like anyone else’s…somehwere in between high pitched and deep and hollow. More of a crack than I thud I suppose hahaha. It’s still pretty loud, but not excessivly so.
I first realised I had this “amazing” talent (lol!) when I was about 14 at school. I used to make the other kids laugh in class with my fart impressions by squeezing the air out of my hands, and then one lunchtime in the girls loos (which was all tiled and echoey) me and two other girls decided to have a contest to see who could clap the loudest …don’t ask me why!! I clapped as hard as I could with my hands in that shape. The result was pretty deafening and so the infamous “loud clap” was born!! It’s been a good source of amusement ever since haha. I once went out with this guy who was really jealous of it…seriously!!. I think he saw it as a threat to his masculinity that his skinny 8 stone girlfriend could clap louder than he could, a 14 stone rugby player!!….so sad haha. I must admit, though, that I do enjoy clapping loudly. Strange but it gives me a certain satisfaction when I make a really, REALLY loud one which impresses people. I know….I am a basket case!!!
Anyways, Joel, I better go. I’m sure I have bored you enough by now.
Hope this answers your quesions.
Jacks
PS…where do you live btw?
Joel said
I live near NYC. Since we started talking about locality, maybe we should go to regular email, or at least a cheap free hotmail or AIM address like I have. lol. Still curious about this regular clapping style you have. I’d have to hear it. Apparently another musician showed me that you can tell a ton about a person from how it sounds and how it is positioned. I would have to hear it it sounds more lower and hollower or higher and sharper.
J.
Jackie W said
NYC eh..wow. Never been to the US! My normal clapping style is just that…normal. It sounds just like almost everyone I know (except Claire who can’t clap for s**t…she does flat hand type claps which you can hardly hear haha) I just clap my slightly cupped fingers into a cupped palm and that’s it! Mid range sound really…neither a sharp high pitched crack like flamenco nor a deep hollow thud…somewhere in between. That it really. Have a lovely Christmas
Jacks
Joel said
Merry Christmas to you too! Flamenco….. that would be that Latin Dance? Besides I checked it out….flamenco style is very high pitched because they only use 3 fingers instead of 4. Check it out.
Ever come to the U.S.? Never been to the UK but would love to go one day.
Joel said
Jacks…..still using this website> I thought I found comments from you on a different forum as well. is it the same person? Joel
Sam said
Well I’ve read this over and over again and I just thought I should comment. I’m always looking to improve my ‘loud’ clap. I haven’t measured it yet but some of my friends say that I lap too often, lol. But anyway I would love to meet someone who loves to clap as much as I do. I clap in my empty garage and It sounded about as loud as a gun shot XD. But I would for sure one day love to challenge anyone for the worlds loudest clap.
Cheers!
Jessica W said
Hey Sam
How are you? So good that you love to clap and are trying to improve your “loud clap”. You sound just like me. I never miss an opportunity to demonstrate my incredible clapping abilities and it sometimes gets me into trouble as it really annoys people. I use a palm to palm style and how loud it sounds just depends on getting the cupping perfect. It takes a lot of practice, but as I’m only 19 I have plenty of time! Maybe we can arrange a clap off someday hahaha.
Are you Sam the Man or Sam the Girl btw?
Jess
Sam said
Hey Jess,
I’m Sam the man (lol some of y friends call me that) and I’m 16. Yes you sound almost exactly like me
And I would LOVE the chance to have a clap off with you
I clap like I am praying only a bit more cupped with my palms. See ya ’round
Sam said
The letter “Y” in my last note should have been MY
Jessica W said
Hey Sam (The Man haha)
Good to hear from you. Sounds like your clapping style is similar to mine. People are always telling me my clap sounds so incredibly loud and very hollow…it always turns heads when I do it. Multiple times I get asked “how do you clap so loud” or “how do you do make that noise” lol!! I used to do it a lot in school and it really did annoy people haha. I don’t get the chance to clap as often now I am working in an office *sighs*. It’s quite strange really as I am only 64 inches tall and quite slim and my hands are only average size for a girl. I suppose it’s all down to technique and the perfect cupping shape.
As for having a “clap off” I live in Adelaide in Oz…where are you??
Keep clapping
Jess
Sam said
I live in Michigan, as to where I can’t say sry, BUT, If we meet at the word record showdown (whenever that will be lol) then for sure I can’t wait to meet someone who loves clapping as much as me, by the way I’m about 16 and you?
Sam said
By the way I have a you tube acount but I made the video about a year ago and posted it about 4 months ago, but my clapping has gotten tremendously better and in the video I look like a moron…
Stargazer 619 said
Aight yall. I gots the loudest clap out of all of yall shitty decibels times 10. Yall nigga shit at clapping mah nigs. man if only i could show u mah fucking clapping skill. MAN! U NIGGA WOULD DIE FROM DA EXTREME SOUND WAVES!
Sam said
Stargazer 619, make a video on you tube and post a link here. We’ll see who has the lpoudest. Jessica, if you can, please do the same.
Jessica W said
Hi Sam
I’m 19 now, but I first realised that I had a “talent” for clapping when I was about 12/13 when everyone would tell me to clap less loudly. I just thought it was normal until I noticed that my clap was so much louder than most others haha. So…I decided to work on it and make it even louder (just like you I s’pose). I keep getting told that it is “not ladylike” to clap really loudly….but wtf lol!! I just enjoy doing it and watching the reactions of people when I do. We had a presentation at work last week which involved some applauding and the woman sat in front of me kept turning round and giving me filthy looks, so I upped my game and clapped even louder. In the end she had to cover her ears hahaha.
Don’t know who YOU are Stargazer 619, but if your clapping is as good as your grasp of english then forget it…you have NO chance!!
Jess
Sam said
So Jess do you want to try to post a video on youtube? Just put a link on here if you do
Also I really wish I could meet you in real life and hear your clap (lol that sounds so silly), but I know that won’t happen unless we both happen to try out for “Worlds loudest clapper 2010 or etc.
Anonymous said
This I gotta see. Who’s gonna win?