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Original Post By:
AlanJ
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Date: 6/11/2007 11:12:25 PM |
Ok.. time for another check. You've heard the phrase.. you've tuned the uke.. where did you first hear this phrase? Have you ever seen it written in an instruction book and/or music book? If so, which one(s)?
Me? My parents first told me the phrase when I was in 7th grade 40 some odd years ago. Never seen it in a book yet. But I still look for it :) |
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Posted By:
GX9901
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Date: 6/12/2007 12:18:46 AM |
| First time I ever heard the "My Dogs Has Fleas" expression was in Hawaii this past January at the Dole pineapple plantation. While I was waiting for the next train for the plantation tour, the guy manning the station was playing his ukulele. It was about a half hour wait and he came over and introduced the ukulele to the few of us that was closest to him near the front of the (short) line. He told us about the "My Dog Has Fleas" tuning of the ukulele and told us how easy it is to pick up and learn. The next day I bought a uke at the Aloha Stadium flea market. And now I'm totally addicted. I wonder if I should thank that guy or punch him in the face for costing me so much money buying ukes! Relax, I'm just kidding!
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Posted By:
Ernie
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Date: 6/12/2007 12:56:52 AM |
When I got my first uke (a birthday present from my loving wife, who had no idea what he was starting, poor thing), she also gave me a copy of one of Jim Beloff's books. In the book, regarding tuning, it said something about how the notes, when arpeggiod, sounded out the phrase, "My Dog Has Fleas"! ... That was great, except I had never in my life heard the phrase (musical, or otherwise) "My Dog Has Fleas".
Then, when a friend showed me in person how to tune (and start to play) my uke, he said, "see? It's just like the phrase "My Dog Has Fleas"!, as if everyone grew up singing it around the house, or reciting it in school- first the Pledge of Allegiance, then "My Dog Has Fleas"... or in Sunday school- "Now, if you would all turn to # 547, "My Dog Has Fleas..."
I've still never heard the phrase, outside of tuning a uke. Where the heck does it originate???
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Posted By:
koalohapaul
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Date: 6/12/2007 4:44:42 AM |
Not sure when I first heard it. We grow up hearing it in Hawaii, so I guess I find it uncommon that people outside of Hawaii may find it uncommon. If I think way back, the first time I can recall hearing it was in 4th grade. They don't do it at all the schools anymore, but we used to learn music through the ukulele in 4th grade. It was paired with Hawaiiana and a volunteer kupuna would come in to teach us ukulele, the Hawaiian alphabet, and culture.
I wonder if they tune to my dog has fleas in Canada?
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Posted By:
Kirbster
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Date: 6/12/2007 9:05:06 AM |
| First time I heard it I was about 8 yrs old visiting my grandparents in Rockville Connecticut. My grandfather brought out an old banjo uke to let me play with. Don't remember the brand, didn't matter to me at the time. But I remember it had an all metal neck & body and each string was a different color. He described tuning to me as 'my dog has fleas'. Everytime I visited I used to pick it up & play with it. As life went on & I got into my twenties I didn't get the opportunity to visit for a few years but did get up about 6 months before his passing. Much to my disappointment, one of my relatives had helped themselves to many of my grandparents belongings, including the banjo uke. Not that I wanted the uke at the time (sure do wish I had it now, though), just more of a feeling that someone stole a beautiful momento of my grandfather from me. But I will always remember sitting there in my grandmothers rocking chair plunking that heavy old thing. Makes me smile and tear up everytime. Thanks Grampie.......
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Posted By:
AlanJ
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Date: 6/12/2007 9:58:14 AM |
It's interesting to find those that have heard the phrase growing up in the '20s or '30s but have not idea of where they heard it from. My parents grew up in different areas of the country. Both heard the phrase when young. Both cannot remember where they first came across it.
So far, seems to be something that someone started and when the rage for ukes spread, so did the phrase.
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Posted By:
NinaC
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Date: 6/12/2007 10:18:35 AM |
| It's something I've heard referred to all my life, so I'm not sure when or where I first heard it, but it most likely was from a Bugs Bunny cartoon or something like that.
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Posted By:
Peanut
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Date: 6/12/2007 10:57:11 AM |
| I can pin it on Bugs Bunny, excellent source for all kinds of archaisms: shave and a haircut 2 bits, etc.
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Posted By:
Tiki King
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Date: 6/12/2007 11:23:23 AM |
When I read this, I thought, "well of course, it's in all the old books".... so I pulled some out to check...
The "Arthur Godfrey song book" (1950) says it's the Opening notes to "Old black joe"
"How to play ukulele", (1932) says its first four notes of "Say it with music"
"The Ukulele self teaching method" by May Singhi Breen says to sing the notes
"The New EZ Ukulele method" (1924) by Kamiki, says to use a pitch pipe
The "Illustrated 5 minute guaranteed Ukulele course" (1925) teaches the 2-4-5 method.
I could not find one mention of "My Dog Has Fleas" in any of my old Ukulele books. Odd.
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Posted By:
DougD
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Date: 6/12/2007 11:34:44 AM |
| TK - Interesting. Don't know for sure about the others, but Arthur Godfrey, at least, is wrong.
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Posted By:
coconino
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Date: 6/12/2007 11:41:27 AM |
�My dog has fleas� is certainly well known in Canada � or, at least, has been in the past.
My childhood was divided between Toronto and Thunder Bay (then Port Arthur) and I do not remember a time that the phrase was not connected to the ukulele. It was just one of those things that everybody knew. In fact, I�m very surprised to find that many people who post on this board are unfamiliar with it!
I have no idea where it comes from and would love to know.
I always assumed that it was a nonsense phrase created to turn a short run of notes into an easily remembered melody. It is much easier for most people to remember a melody if it has lyrics.
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Posted By:
Snowman
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Date: 6/12/2007 12:55:08 PM |
| Ukulele historian John King has written that the origin of this phrase is unknown. It would be interesting to find its earliest appearance in something (book or movie) that could be dated with certainty. Didn't Grace Allen have a line in an old movie that played off this phrase? I think Jim Beloff's movie songbook has a reference to this, but I may not be remembering correctly and don't have the book handy.
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Posted By:
AlanJ
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Date: 6/12/2007 6:09:53 PM |
I'm often surprised at how many people remember hearing about MDHF yet have not come across it in written form. One wouuld think that a mnenomic so pervasive would be utilized greatly in both instruction and song books.
Here's an interesting twist... who has heard of the MDHF phrase that are not from either the US or Canada?
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Posted By:
jnoteast
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Date: 6/12/2007 6:59:15 PM |
I have Lil' Rev's ukulele book, Hal Leonard's Ukulele Method Book 1 has the "My dog has fleas" on page 6 in sections called, "Tuning by Ear" and "Relative Tuning"
Hey Lil' Rev if you see this, when will Book 2 be out?
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Posted By:
No Strings
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Date: 6/12/2007 7:54:53 PM
(Updated: 6/12/2007 7:57:49 PM)
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Here's the Jim Beloff reference, from "Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hollywood":
'Honolulu', 1939, MGM. Gracie Allen strums a ukulele and sings the title tune. While tuning her uke, she admits to Eleanor Powell, "You see what's wrong� the dogs are all right, but the fleas are out of tune."
So at least 1939, and most certainly before that, as the joke wouldn't play if the phrase wasn't "out there" by then.
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Posted By:
juslearnin
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Date: 6/13/2007 12:02:50 AM |
| I learned it from my mom way, way back when. She said, "da uke no soun right, make em "my dog has fleas". She sang it and I remembered it.
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Posted By:
foolish jac
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Date: 6/13/2007 8:36:44 AM |
| Carol Burnett.
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Posted By:
AlanJ
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Date: 6/13/2007 2:20:55 PM |
| jac, on Carol Burnett's tv show?
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Posted By:
Ukester Brown
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Date: 6/13/2007 10:16:24 PM |
| When I got my 1st uke about 33 years ago, my Dad sang it to me. I wish I had been practicing all that time!
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Posted By:
foolish jac
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Date: 6/14/2007 12:12:57 AM |
Alan
yup, i remember her tuning up. i looked over at YouTube but no success.
at least i think i remember it on her show...there's been a lotta mind altering chemistry between then an now.
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Posted By:
AlanJ
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Date: 6/14/2007 2:10:32 PM |
Ok class.. for your homework assignment, talk to your parents and relatives and find out where they heard the phrase "My Dog Has Fleas" :)
Seriously, if you don't ask such historical questions, our greatest hope of finding at least how the phrase spread so far and wide may just very well be lost forever. Grill 'em! :)
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