# Is there a name for this ubiquitous piano riff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266 "2017-12-12T05:03:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/1 "2017-12-12T05:03:35Z")
The “duh-duh duh-duh duh-DUH” riff, found in [this Golden Girls clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbSJRczGnA), at 0:20. I hear it in a lot of songs but I’ve never seen anything about its origins or where it was originally used. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/2 "2017-12-12T05:45:33Z")
I’ve always associated it with circus music, but not the descending “doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo” one, if you can dig that. Not sure how to articulate the melody I hear without writing it out in sheet music form, but I dunno, something screams “circus” at me. ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/3 "2017-12-14T08:11:02Z")
That’s the Minsky Pickup > **[Minsky Pickup - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MinskyPickup)** > > This is the six note Intro Fanfare to a Song and Dance number. (Actually, it's a somewhat shortened version of an older 16-note intro, the shorter version being the more common these days.) Three notes of the same pitch, then up a full, up a half … ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/4 "2017-12-14T10:48:37Z")
Here’s comedian [Bill Bailey’s contribution](https://youtu.be/y5_neq3EzM8?t=606) to this piece of music. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/5 "2017-12-14T21:06:52Z")
Thanks, guys! That’s great. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/6 "2017-12-14T23:02:02Z")
[It was used in one of my favorite Honeymooners episodes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzxWIL6HElI), though in conjunction with another riff. I’d suggest watching the whole episode. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/7 "2017-12-14T23:46:15Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Here’s comedian [Bill Bailey’s contribution](https://youtu.be/y5_neq3EzM8?t=606) to this piece of music. I liked his “Oi!” yells at the end of each example. (duh-duh, duh-DUH, duh, duh?):o ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/8 "2017-12-15T01:02:47Z")
“Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston opens with it. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/9 "2017-12-15T01:10:29Z")
I thought it would be called a fanfare. I’ve heard it tacked on to the beginning of lotsa songs. But don’t go by me, I’m not a real musician I just play one onstage:eek: Seriously, I play but I am very pedestrian in my musical knowledge.😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/10 "2017-12-15T01:25:45Z")
[Again.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jqGbRp2mzo) ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/11 "2017-12-15T07:05:48Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Here’s comedian [Bill Bailey’s contribution](https://youtu.be/y5_neq3EzM8?t=606) to this piece of music. Never heard of him before, but that was brilliant! Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-ubiquitous-piano-riff/804266/12 "2017-12-15T15:59:44Z")
The Muppet Show theme starts with it.