# origin of "archetypical-Asian" melody

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-archetypical-asian-melody/308736>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 17, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-archetypical-asian-melody/308736 "2005-06-17T18:59:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-archetypical-asian-melody/308736/1 "2005-06-17T18:59:10Z")

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There is a short melodic phrase, (riff?) consisting of around 9 notes that is commonly heard in soundtracks when an Asian theme is introduced. The phrase I mean can be heard in [Turning Japanese](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004ZDO9/qid=1119034784/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-6951666-3687308). This link is to Amazon’s samples, and I find it about 11 seconds into the Windows Media Player version.

What is the origin of this phrase?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-archetypical-asian-melody/308736/2 "2005-06-17T19:09:18Z")

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There have been a number of thread on this, and so far, the very first appearance of _that specific_ melody has been found in the intro to Carl Douglas’s “Kung Fu Fighting” (1974).

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**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-archetypical-asian-melody/308736/3 "2005-06-17T20:06:49Z")

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see this thread

> **[Where does that stereotypical "oriental" song come from?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=300466)**
>
> Where does that stereotypical “oriental” song come from? You know, the one that goes dee dee dee dee duh duh dee dee duh. Featured heavily in braindead Hollywood flicks made by clueless directors who want to give a scene an “oriental” feel. Also a...