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The duckwalk is a form of locomotion performed by assuming a low
This exercise is used to strengthen the ankles and thighs. It is also a test of balance, flexibility, and agility.
partial squatting position
Squatting is a versatile posture where the weight of the body is on the feet but the knees and hips are bent. In contrast, sitting involves taking the weight of the body, at least in part, on the buttocks against the ground or a horizontal object. ...
and walking forwards, maintaining the low stance. It is similar to stalking and prowling. It is most widely known as a stage element of guitar showmanship popularized by rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
guitarist Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
.
It is also a physical exercise commonly used in military training.
Chuck Berry's other guitar playing stunt, his one-legged hop routine with the other leg waving in the air is also known as a duckwalk.
Origins
While the origins of the duckwalk have been traced as far back asT-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''R ...
who already during the 1930s performed dance moves
Dance moves or dance steps (more complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures, dance movements, or dance variations) are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each ...
while playing his guitar, it was Chuck Berry who made the duckwalk popular and who is often credited as the inventor. He first used it as a child when he walked "stooping with full-bended knees, but with my back and head vertical" under a table to retrieve a ball and his family found it entertaining; he used it when "performing in New York for the first time and some journalist branded it the duck walk." Chuck Berry performs duckwalk in songs such as the 1956 "rock, rock, rock!" and 1973's "Sweet Little Rock and Roller".
AC/DC
AC/DC guitaristAngus Young
Angus McKinnon Young (born 31 March 1955) is an Australian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and only remaining original member of the hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolbo ...
, whose musical style was heavily influenced by Chuck Berry, also does a duckwalk, in the form of a one-legged hop, in his shows.
Military training exercise
This exercise is used to strengthen the ankles and thighs. It is also a test of balance, flexibility, and agility.
MEPS physical test
The duckwalk is one out of 25 exercises in the physical test atUnited States Military Entrance Processing Command
The United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) is a Major Command of the U.S. Department of Defense, which primarily screens and processes enlisted personnel applicants into the United States Armed Forces.
USMEPCOM does n ...
(MEPS). The duckwalk tests to see if a trainee is flat footed or if it hurts to perform the exercise. It also makes sure that the trainee has proper ranges of motion. Trainees who fail the duckwalk are temporarily suspended from MEPS and have to try again at a later date.
See also
* Goose stepReferences
{{Reflist Guitar performance techniques Partial squatting position Walking Ducks in popular culture