The Lick
The Lick is a lick (stock musical phrase) regarded as "the most famous jazz cliché ever". The phrase has been used on numerous jazz and pop records and is part of several classical compositions. In recent years, it has become an internet meme and is sometimes used for comedic effect. 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. "The Lick" is frequently played over a ii°-V-i (minor-key) chord progression. History. The term "the lick" was coined by an eponymous Facebook group in the 2010s and popularized by a YouTube video assembled from clips from the group by jazz musician Alex Heitlinger in 2011. "The Lick" was not first seen in jazz, as examples of classical music include tonal sequences similar to "The Lick", but it has been primarily known as a jazz lick for the attention it has received from being commonly used in jazz improvisations. It  has been popularised as it is easily adaptable into all keys and modes and is heard in many famous pieces, including many non-jazz pieces. It has been seen in adverts, such as in an "Injury Lawyers for You" advert and in the music on TV programmes, such as "The Late Show". "The Lick" has been used for comedic effect, such as the video "I play the lick for 5 hours straight" by YouTube artist Adam Neely. In 2019, composer David Bruce used the lick as a basis for a string quartet which he named "The Lick Quartet". The Lick