Tag: urban

Clapping: Your First Lesson in Rhythm

I have a little nephew and all he knows how to do is fill up diapers and clap.

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1

Did you grow up around live music? If so you probably clapped along, and probably never had to be taught how to clap. Its one of the first things you ever did. I have a little nephew and all he knows how to do is fill up diapers and clap. Its just in us naturally and most of us never even think about it.

Every once in a while I get to lead worship and I like to sing old songs. You know; country songs. Duple meter hillbilly gospel music. You can call me nostalgic and you’ll probably be right, but I also once had a kid rap at Youth Camp. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. Anyway, whenever I lead one of the these old upbeat gospel songs out of the hymnal there is usually one or two people that clap opposite of everyone else. And it makes it hard on me. Here I am, not really a singer but giving it all I got trying not to blow an artery while singing in the rafters, hoping to remember to give signs to the poor praise singers who are not hillbillies, and somebody is clapping off beat.

“Bluegrass is based upon a complex rhythm scheme called the boom-chuck boom-chuck. We kindly ask that you do not clap on the boom, only on the chuck.” -David Crowder

I feel like this man Crowder is speaking from the frustration of leading a song with a group of audience members who do not agree on where the clap feels right. And that is what I am here to talk about: How do you feel time?

Sincerely, I do not expect every audience member to be a musician and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from clapping in praise, whether they are in time with the music or not. This subject is interesting to me because time/feel is one of the things that makes music unique.

The “Boom-Chuck” rhythm that Mr. Crowder is referencing is the down beat (boom) and the back beat (chuck). In a bluegrass band the boom would be the stand up bass, and the chuck the mandolin. This eventually manifested itself in the drum kit with the kick drum playing the boom and the snare drum playing the chuck. So when Chuck Berry sang “Its got a back beat you can’t lose it” in Rock and Roll Music he was talking about the snare providing the back beat.

I was shown as a child, by a host of witnesses now passed on, to clap on the back beat. I didn’t grow up with a drum kit in church, which is where I did all my clapping to music. The clapping congregation were the timekeepers in my little church. I am sure I would’ve gotten in trouble from Mom for purposefully clapping on the down beat at church. And honestly, I have to bite the inside of my lip and furrow my brows like I am doing long division just to be able to clap “wrong”. Not because I can’t bring myself to do it, but because it is unnatural to me. But that is the musical tradition and environment that I was raised in.

When I got to Gateway College of Evangelism and joined the choir I was surprised to learn that even some of those blonde-headed, blue-eyed, midwestern yankees with funny German last names were just learning for the very first time in choir practice that you clapped with the snare drum in Gospel music. I thought man these people are backwards. Looking back though, Polka and Bluegrass musical traditions feel time very differently and emphasize different beats. And you might get odd looks for clapping on the back beat at Polka or Klezmer concerts. (I may be wrong about that, I have never been to either, but a lot of Polka is in 2/4 and puts strong emphasis on the downbeat. Klezmer music often has more elaborate clapping schemes compared to the simple backbeat.)

My Uncle Melvin believes that all this rhythm stuff we are talking about is made up, especially the part where you can count. I thought he was joking but after I talked to him about it I think he is being genuine. Maybe he represents a large swath of people who have no idea what I am writing about. I kind of doubt it though. I believe that many of you, especially if you grew up in a church that encouraged clapping, or around live music in general, will have a natural desire to move or clap when you feel a song. It is how you feel that song that is fascinating to me.

I made this video to demonstrate this topic. I said something in it that I want to set straight.

“There’s nothing worse than trying to lead worship with a group of people that are not in agreement on where to clap.”

That is not true. No one clapping is far worse. Clapping is an act of praise. Fortunately we are not being graded by The Almighty on how good our rhythm is. It doesn’t even have to be rhythmic. He’s happy with noise.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4

My Favorite Things: Peaches

When was the last time you had a good peach? The kind that you bite into and the juice runs down your chin but you don’t even care?

When was the last time you had a good peach? The kind that you bite into and the juice runs down your chin but you don’t even care? A good peach ought to give a little when you touch it. You know it’ll be juicy if it leaves a thumb imprint. Sarah brought home some peaches from the store. Georgia Juicy the bag said. And they were. I ate five peaches one morning. I don’t know if peaches are my favorite fruit but they are in the top 25. I like to have to wipe my elbows when I get done eating a peach. The next week she went to a different store and brought home some peaches with the bag that said Fuzzies. I wouldn’t say the fuzz on a peach is the most appetizing or marketable feature. I do eat the skin. I know some people don’t like that, but it doesn’t bother me. I do like to rinse peaches before I eat them just to slick that fuzz down a little. It’s sort of like combing your hair before you go to church: it’s still the same old hair, but it just looks a little nicer when a bit wet.

Do peaches really need marketing?

I’m sort of glad that peaches are seasonal. Would they be as special if you could get them every day? Even when they are in season you might not get a great batch of them.

Peaches are the kind of food that don’t just taste good as an ingredient: A peach is good all by itself. But if I had to pick my favorite peach concoctions it be in these. Peach ice cream. Peach cobbler. Fried peach pie. I would like some homemade peach ice cream straight out of the container when it is still the consistency of a thick milkshake. Where you can use a spoon because you are mannerly, but really you can just drink it.

I hope y’all get some peaches soon.