”Shave and a Hair Cut… Two Bits!”
History & Culture: Ubiquitous traditional fiddle tune ending… and friendly hello/goodbye rhythmic gesture… at least here in America. Knock this rhythm on your friend’s door to signal it is you. Often done in a call and answer way, where the “caller” will do the “shave and a hair cut” part and wait for the other person to answer “Two Bits!” (or “knock-knock” in this case). Also used as a friendly goodbye by tooting the rhythm on your car horn as you leave a friend. I’ve often wondered where this silly saying came from historically. An adult student of mine once did a little research into that question, finding that it most likely came out of the Vaudeville era in the US (late 1800’s-early 1900’s). Vaudeville performance troops would tour a circuit from town to town with a show that included music, dancing, and comedy. This was pre-radio, and often the only chance for the average public to experience professional entertainment. My best guess is that it was a punchline to a joke that was then repeated at key times in the show for extra laughs. …and somehow it just “stuck” in our culture.
Mechanics: The basic rhythm can be simply played by even a beginner on any single note, most usually the “tonic” of the key…
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