The hambone is a musical technique that mainly uses the human body as a musical instrument. Although there are some real hambone songs, this technique can be used in any genre. Keep reading.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Complete Hambone Song
Step 1. Slap your thighs
The opening note of the hambone song is played by slapping the outside of the thighs (do the hambone) with the open hand. In musical notation, the note would be a quarter note.
- A quarter note lasts a quarter of a semibreve, or a quarter of a four quarter beat. In the hambone, think of the quarter note as a beat. Slap your leg and mentally count each pulse.
- To learn the hambone song, you should use your dominant hand to slap the outside of the thigh.
- As you get better at it, you can swap thighs by slapping the right with the left hand and the left with the right hand, or slapping both thighs simultaneously. Both techniques will add flavor to the performance and improve your overall sound.
Step 2. Slap the thigh again
For the next note in the song, slap the same thigh with the same open hand. The movement must essentially be that of the first slap, but instead of lasting a quarter, this note should only last an eighth.
- Also called quaver, this note lasts half of a quarter note. In this song, a quarter note is represented by a slap, then an eighth note is represented by a short slap. Slap the leg briefly twice and count "two" in mind.
- Use the same thigh and hand you have used so far. As you get better, you will be able to swap your hands and thighs during the performance.
Step 3. Let's move on to the upper body
Clap a hand (not too hard) on the right pectoral. Play an eighth note.
- This note and the first note should both be played in a single beat, ie play the first note, count one, play these two, and count “two”.
- Use the same hand and keep your fingers open.
- If it bothers you to beat yourself on the chest, clap your hands together.
Step 4. Slap your thighs twice
Return to the thighs. Slap the outside of the thigh with the back of your hand making an eighth note and again with the palm of your hand making another eighth note.
- When you have completed both slaps, you have sounded another pulse, and the mental count must rise to three.
- Always use the same hand and thigh at the beginning. When you are better you can modify the sequence and change limbs.
Step 5. Back to the chest
Return your hand to the right side of your chest and play another eighth note.
- This note should be the first half of the beat that closes the bar.
- As above, alternately to the chest you can clap your hands with each other.
Step 6. Return to the thighs and give another slap
The final pulsation must be completed by an eighth note. Put your hand back down and slap your thigh like you did before.
You have now completed the joke. By completing this last slap you will have to mentally count "four"
Step 7. Give yourself a final blow on the thigh to complete the song
Continue with the pattern shown above as long as you like. When you have decided to end the song, give a loud slap on the thigh with the open palm of your dominant hand.
Step 8. Sing it over
When you understand the rhythm, start singing. There are several texts on the Internet that can be easily adapted to the hambone. You can even make up your own rhymes.
- One of the lyrics is: Hambone, hambone / where you been? / Round the world and I'm goin 'again. / What you gonna do when you come back? / Take a little walk by the railroad track. / Hambone.
- Otherwise: Hambone, hambone / Have you heard? / Papa's gonna buy me a mocking bird. / And if that mocking bird don't sing / Papa's gonna buy me a diamond ring. / And if that diamond ring don't shine / Papa's gonna take it to the five and dime. / Hambone.
- Or: Hambone, hambone / Where you been? / Round the world and I'm going again. / I just skinned an alley cat / To make my wife a Sunday hat. / Took the hide right off a goat / To make my wife a Sunday coat. / Hambone.
- And again: Hambone, hambone / Trying to eat / Ketchup on his elbow, pickle on his feet / Bread in the basket / Chicken in the stew / Supper on the fire for me and you. / Hambone.
Step 9. Increase or decrease the speed
As you get better, you can put on a show by playing at different speeds. Always play the same rhythm pattern, increasing or decreasing the speed.
Method 2 of 3: Gallop
Step 1. Clap your hands once
A hambone gallop is a simple combination of three notes: hand, knee, knee. For the first pulse, clap your hands.
- Clap your hands once, as if to clap.
- It works best if you sit with your knees or thighs directly under your hands.
Step 2. Slap one knee with one hand
Slide one hand over the other and slap the upper thigh.
- This note must last as long as the first.
- Keep your hand open so that the palm and fingers hit the thigh.
Step 3. Strike the other knee with the other hand
Slap the end of the corresponding thigh with your palm and fingers.
This slap must last like the other two
Step 4. Increase or decrease the speed
Repeat this sequence to create the gallop effect. Faster or slower. The faster you play, the more it will resemble a real gallop. Experiment with speed until you find a sound that satisfies you.
Method 3 of 3: Method Three: Hambone Freestyle
Step 1. Experiment with screens and rhythms
There is no rule that says you should only follow the pace described in this article. Experiment with your moves, rhythms, and screens until you find a suitable way to express yourself.
While there may be a traditional rhythm to the hambone, the hambone itself is a musical technique, not a song. The hambone is simply a form of percussion that uses the human body as a musical instrument. Its origins date back to the Afro-American tradition
Step 2. Do the hambone with your hands
As you get better at it, create a more spectacular sound by slapping yourself with two hands.
- When slapping the thighs, you can use one hand on each thigh or both on one.
- If you really want to go wild, you can switch legs and slap the right leg with the left and the left with the right.
Step 3. Use your cheeks too
Another common hambone technique is to implement the cheeks, slapping them with the fingertips of both hands.
- Open your mouth fully and press your lips together.
- Quickly slap your cheeks with your fingertips. You can also use your palms or fingers if the sound is too weak.
- Change the sound by using your mouth as a soundbox, opening and closing it as you slap yourself. By opening your mouth more you will have more high-pitched sounds, while by closing it you will have more low-pitched sounds.
Step 4. Slap elbows and ankles as well
If you are flexible enough, you can bend your arms and legs to hit your ankles and elbows.
Be creative and experiment with different techniques
Step 5. Slap different parts of the body at the same time
You can improve the sound by slapping different parts of the body simultaneously with both hands.
For example, you can slap your knee and shoulder at the same time or slap your left thigh with your right hand while slapping your right heel with your left hand
Step 6. Clap your feet and hands
Clapping is a very simple but effective move. This move makes your hands a musical instrument, so it can be categorized as a hambone technique. Same thing can be said for the feet.
