Clap Sticks

Enjoy exploring the sounds produced by these sets of handcrafted clapsticks made by Kuku Yalanji, Butchella, and wakkawakka artist Djuker Willis Hart.

Info Card (comes with purchase)

Clapsticks have been used by Aboriginal people all over Australia for thousands of years, serving multiple purposes such as making music, crushing and grinding, as well as digging earth and ochre.

There are several methods for crafting traditional clapsticks, each determining the resulting sound. I have created three different types of clapsticks, each producing a distinct sound. The choice of wood used also affects the sound produced when the clapsticks are struck together. I have chosen dogwood wood for my clapsticks.

The three types I have made here include:

1. Rounded tips, which soften the sound as it projects out of the ends.
2. Pointed tips, which sharpen the sound and project it further.
3. Ceremonial sets, consisting of one piece of wood split into two. These sets were often used as gifts to symbolize the unity of marriage or the coming together of tribes/clans.

To finish my clapsticks, I cover them with a coat made from yakka gum, obtained from the yaminna tree (Grasstree). Aboriginal people throughout Australia have used this resin for various purposes, such as binding tools together, coloring tools and crafts, medicinal applications, and much more. It has been used here to colour and protect the clapsticks.

Djuker Willis Hart