I’m talking something hummable, where most people would be able to guess it after only X notes. And minimize X.
2 notes, a tone and a tone a minor third below it. It’s that little children’s taunt (lah-lah, lah-lah, lah-lah lah lah lah-lah, as if that helps). It’s also the beginning of “Rain rain, go away, come again some other day.” Same melody, slightly different rhythm.
Ah yes, Nelson’s “HA, ha!” I’d say that’s an abbreviated version of the 5-note “Nyah nyah Na Na Na.”
How about the 3-note NBC signature melody?
The two note Uh-uh sound on Family Fortunes/Feud when you get an answer wrong.
Beethoven’s 5th
Da da da daaaaaa…
Byyyy MEN-nen.
Or alternatively
Na-BIIS-co! (ding)
Not quite.
In “Nyah nyah”, the pitch of the 2nd note is a minor 3rd below the 1st note.
In Nelson’s “HA Ha!”, the pitch of the 2nd note is a major 3rd below the 1st note. (And depending on how the voice artist is feeling that day, the 2nd note can also end with a descending glissando in pitch, which can result in its final pitch being as much as a perfect 5th below the 1st note.)
How about the first two chords of Hey Jude?
Or the first two notes of the Jaws theme?
How about the feedback beginning to the Beatles’ “I Feel Fine”?
As a child, I once watched a contestant on Name That Tune get “Happy Birthday” in ONE note. I was very impressed at the time, although of course I was about six years old. I think it’s still rather impressive.
“Jingle bells.” One note, three beats.
The first two notes of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”?
Lessee… first chord of Sweet Child O’ Mine.
First chord of Dream On, which is also the first chord of Don’t Speak.
First chords of Satisfaction.
The first two notes of Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Achernar took mine.
The first note of Roundaboutby Yes.
Shave and a Haircut. Ten Cents! would have to deserve a mention, I reckon. Even the first part alone.
Sorry for interrupting, but wasn’t that always, Shave and a Hair Cut – Two Bits!, or have things been modernised now?
The theme from “Jeopardy!”