The sound of two hundred hands clapping

[A Lark Ascending]

Never join a club that would have you as a member? That works for a crowded tube train, where personal space is at a premium, and you do everything possible to insulate yourself from your intrusive, unwelcome, iPod-wearing neighbour. But not for an audience, where you do what the group tells you to. If it claps, you do – and quickly. Swedish researchersfilming groups of students responding to the same lecture found that it took just under three seconds from the first student to start clapping till the last, and nearly double that time for the audience to recover from the "infection" of applause. The rate at which newcomers begin clapping is proportional to how many are already clapping. Personal appreciation, quality of the performance – all are secondary to acoustics and to the social problem an audience must solve, not in how and when to start a round of applause, but how to co-ordinate its end. A big hand, please, for social contagion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/19/in-praise-of-clapping-swedish-researchers-editorial

I can relate to this. I hate the ritual in classical concerts where the performers leave the stage, come back, leave the stage, come back, leave the stage, come back...

Yet I keep clapping for fear of seeming ungrateful.

Edited June 22, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

There must be something wrong with me - I don't do this.

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

What? Clap?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

No - allow my clapping or not to be influenced by the rest of the audience. I'm not there for their benefit; they aren't there for mine.

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

But I'm afraid I do conform at the end of the tune or concert.

The one that annoys me is the audience member who has to be the first to clap at the end of a piece (they tend to shout out things like 'Yeah' at inopportune moments too...in Sheffield, for goodness sake!). Quiet pieces of music in particular benefit from a short space of silence after they end. But too often 'Mr. Hey Everyone-I-Know-When-This-Piece-Ends' jumps in while the last note is fading.

And don't even start me on the berk who shouts 'Bravo!' in a classical concert....

Edited June 23, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

And don't even start me on the berk who shouts 'Bravo!' in a classical concert....

Oh, all right, then.

MG

[Royal Oak]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

But I'm afraid I do conform at the end of the tune or concert.

The one that annoys me is the audience member who has to be the first to clap at the end of a piece (they tend to shout out things like 'Yeah' at inopportune moments too...in Sheffield, for goodness sake!). Quiet pieces of music in particular benefit from a short space of silence after they end. But too often 'Mr. Hey Everyone-I-Know-When-This-Piece-Ends' jumps in while the last note is fading.

And don't even start me on the berk who shouts 'Bravo!' in a classical concert....

Do people really still use the word "Bravo"?

[A Lark Ascending]

Do people really still use the word "Bravo"?

They did in the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford a month back! The woman next to me did it the end of each half.

At least she didn't shout 'Bravo maestro'.

[mjazzg]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

absolutely with you on this one. I've never understood the need to clap at the end of a solo and why it's become such a reflex for so many. Not least it always obscures the following contribution. I find it interesting that this doesn't happen at the more improv end of the spectrum where audiences seem to remain quieter throughout. It's the 'jazz' crowd that seem to want to do it more

[A Lark Ascending]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

absolutely with you on this one. I've never understood the need to clap at the end of a solo and why it's become such a reflex for so many. Not least it always obscures the following contribution. I find it interesting that this doesn't happen at the more improv end of the spectrum where audiences seem to remain quieter throughout. It's the 'jazz' crowd that seem to want to do it more

Notice how it's the drum solo that always gets the biggest response. The main clapping is largely reflex. But there's something (seemingly) athletic and physical about a drum solo that seems to elicit real enthusiasm.

Edited June 24, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[mjazzg]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

absolutely with you on this one. I've never understood the need to clap at the end of a solo and why it's become such a reflex for so many. Not least it always obscures the following contribution. I find it interesting that this doesn't happen at the more improv end of the spectrum where audiences seem to remain quieter throughout. It's the 'jazz' crowd that seem to want to do it more

Notice how it's the drum solo that always gets the biggest response. The main clapping is largely reflex. But there's something (seemingly) athletic and physical about a drum solo that seems to elicit real enthusiasm.

I thought that was just relief

[A Lark Ascending]

I rarely clap solos in jazz concerts - always seems like a ritual that perfectly illustrates the premise above.

absolutely with you on this one. I've never understood the need to clap at the end of a solo and why it's become such a reflex for so many. Not least it always obscures the following contribution. I find it interesting that this doesn't happen at the more improv end of the spectrum where audiences seem to remain quieter throughout. It's the 'jazz' crowd that seem to want to do it more

Notice how it's the drum solo that always gets the biggest response. The main clapping is largely reflex. But there's something (seemingly) athletic and physical about a drum solo that seems to elicit real enthusiasm.

I thought that was just relief

Very good!

I think at my next classical concert I'm going to greet the end of the main piece by shouting 'Toad!'

Edited June 25, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[crisp]

And don't even start me on the berk who shouts 'Bravo!' in a classical concert....

It should be compulsary to shout "bravo" at a classical concert. If this action isn't taken it will soon go the way of saying "chin-chin" when drinking and shouting "good show" at a cricket match.

[danasgoodstuff]

Free Bird!

[Van Basten II]

I've noticed that people who tend to clap a lot are people are either trying to convince themselves that what they hear is actually good or they actually enjoy listening themselves to applaud than actually listening to the freakin' music. It happens quite often when the crowd consists of people that we usually never see at jazz concerts (In Montreal it is always the same hundred people that we get to see at jazz gigs).

Regarding the improv, I've noticed it too , during the Suoni which mostly offers Free jazz or improv, peopletend to listen quietly and clap when the tune ends

Among the most clap happy are probably Classical music fans, as soon as someone plays in a loud fashion like Denis Matsuev tends to do you can bet it's gonna end in a standing ovation, wonder why those people don't attend speed metal concerts ?

Edited June 26, 2013 by Van Basten II

[Big Beat Steve]

Among the most clap happy are probably Classical music fans, as soon as someone plays in a loud fashion like Denis Matsuev tends to do you can bet it's gonna end in a standing ovation, wonder why those people don't attend speed metal concerts ?

Maybe because that is not sophisticated enough for their (self-perceivedly) fine tastes?

For a cure, send them to a Keith Jarrett concert.

[kinuta]

I've seen many cases here of people clapping their own achievement ! Your quiz show answer is correct, someone says your cooking is good, give yourself a big hand.

The habit is especially prevalent among young girls .

[Big Beat Steve]

I've seen many cases here of people clapping their own achievement ! Your quiz show answer is correct, someone says your cooking is good, give yourself a big hand.

The habit is especially prevalent among young girls .

Don't know about Asia, but over here it's also current among most any persons present on TV in situations where one just MIGHT "give them a hand" (so the give themselves a hand). What's a bit disturbing is that for decades this seemed to be a specialty of hooray parades held in Communist countries where they celebrated themselves as a matter of course and went all overboard in applauding themselves in public.

And now it's common fare everywhere? Don't they see how ridiculous they very often look in doing so?