The influence of finger position on percussion sounds

Abstract

Percussion sounds of the chest are resonant sounds induced by striking one finger upon another finger applied firmly to the chest. They have the greatest content of energy in the range of 150 - 200 Hz. The character of the percussion sounds may change due to pathological processes (Sovijärvi et al., 2000). The striking finger must be flexed in both interphalangeal joints simultaneously, to acquire a stable arched finger position. This condition is due to local shifts within the so-called extensor assembly of the finger, which is the anatomical structure where tendons of extrinsic and intrinsic finger muscles converge (Van Zwieten et al., 2002). The stability of the arch of the striking finger contributes to its rigidity, thus influencing the quality of percussion sounds produced.