There may be a proper name for the rattle bones. They are handheld, two for each hand, held between the three middle fingers. I’m guessing that they were about 6 inches long or less by 2 inches wide or less, probably thicker than a table knife blade! And are made of bone. The person using them learned how to keep time to the music while shaking them a certain way. They have a clickety-clackety sound all their own. A neighbor man or maybe his son about Chauncey’s age introduced them to our tribe. Since Chauncey couldn't afford the real bone kind, he made his own (I imagine out of some kind of wood, but I never gave it a thought back then). Ernest also got very good at rattling the bones. He could play the Harmonica as good as Chauncey, but neither of them could out-do dad on the harmonica or French harp!
About "Am I Blue?": It was a popular song back in the 30s. Reason I thought of that one was when Art was about two or so and he was trying to sing it, he couldn't talk plain so he sang: Em I Boo? Art was a little tongue tied for quite a while because at five or six he was calling me “Daddes” instead of “Gladys” after I was married.
I love this tidbit about Dad! Thanks for including him Gladys.
ReplyDeleteMy kids just got from Grandpa a set of Rattle Bones made out of wood. I'm traing to figure out how to use. I will follow your direction Gladys. Welcome to the Internet world !!
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