The Lick

This article is about the musical lick. For the TV series, see The Lick with Trevor Nelson. For other uses, see Lick (disambiguation).

"The Lick" is a lick (a stock musical phrase) that has been used in numerous jazz and pop songs and several classical compositions, to the point that it has been described as "the most famous jazz cliché ever".^[1] In recent years, it has become an internet meme and is often used for comedic effect.^[2][3]

"The Lick" in E minor written in modern staff notation (top) and tablature (bottom)

"The Lick" in E minor played on the guitar, with the grace note on the first and fifth note

The Lick in different swing levels (straight, 60%, 70%, then 80%)

Musical structure

"The Lick" consists of seven notes, using five steps on a diatonic scale. The interval pattern is 1 (unison) – 2 (major second) – ♭3 (minor third) – 4 (perfect fourth) – 2 (major second) – ♭7 (lower seventh) – 1 (unison). In jazz, it is played swung, sometimes including a glissando or grace note before the fifth note.^[4]

History

The term "The Lick" was coined by a Facebook group in the 2010s and popularized by a YouTube video assembled from clips from the group by professor Alex Heitlinger in 2011.^[5] "The Lick" was not first seen in jazz, as examples of classical music, such as The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky, include tonal sequences similar to "The Lick". However, it is primarily known as a jazz lick for the attention it has received from being commonly used in jazz improvisation.^[6] In 2019, composer David Bruce used "The Lick" as a basis for a string quartet, the Lick Quartet.^[7][8]