Summarize:

The opening note of the hambone song is made by striking the outer thigh or “hambone” with your open hand. In terms of musical notation, this note should be a quarter note.  A quarter note lasts for one quarter of the duration a whole note lasts. In terms of the hambone song, you can think of the quarter note as one beat. Strike your leg and hold steady for a mental count of "one," representing one beat. For the purpose of learning the basic hambone song, you should use your dominant hand to strike the thigh on the same side of the body. For instance, if you are right-handed, you should use the palm and open fingers of your right hand to strike the outside of your right thigh. As you get more proficient with the rhythm and song, you can switch things up by striking your left thigh with your right hand or by slapping both thighs with both hands simultaneously. Either move can liven up the performance and enhance the overall sound. For the next note of the song, strike the same outer thigh with the same open hand. The movement will essentially be the same as your first slap, but instead of lasting as a quarter note, this note will only be held as an eighth note.  An eighth note is half of a quarter note. With this song, a quarter note can be counted as a single beat, so an eighth note will only last for half of a beat. Strike your leg and put your hand in position for the slap that follows before you can finish counting off to “two” in your head. Use the same thigh and same hand when practicing this song for the first time. As you grow more accustomed to the movements, you can switch hands and thighs during the middle of the performance. Slap an open hand to your chest, just above your heart. This slap should be performed as another eighth note.  This slap and the one prior to it should be completed by the time you reach a mental count of “two,” with “one,” having been completed on the quarter note of the first slap. Use the same hand and keep the palm and fingers open. As you grow more comfortable with the hambone, you can change things a bit by bringing your hand up halfway and slapping the palm of your other hand, rather than your chest. Bring your hand back down to your thigh. Strike the outside of your thigh with the back of your open hand for one eighth note and the front of your hand for a second eighth note.  By the time you complete both thigh slaps, you should be able to complete another beat, or the mental count of “three.” Stick with the same hand and same thigh while learning the basics. Switch things up with other hands and thighs as you get more comfortable. Bring the same open hand up to your chest, just above your heart, and give the area another hearty slap. This note will be another eighth note.  This note should be the first half of your final beat. As before, you can slap your opposite hand if this feels more comfortable than slapping your chest. The final strike is another eighth note. Bring the same hand back down and slap the outside of the same thigh with the back of your hand. This slap will complete your final beat. By the time you complete this one and the heart slap before it, you should be able to count off another beat, or the number “four” in your head. Continue on in the above pattern for as often long as you desire to make the song longer. When done, conclude by flipping your hand back over and striking the outer thigh with the open palm and fingers of your same dominant hand. When you get the rhythm of the hambone down, you can also sing along to the beat. There are several sets of lyrics floating around the Internet and you can easily select one of those options. You could also come up with your own rhyme that matches the beat of the song.  One set of lyrics goes: Hambone, hambone / where you been? / Round the world and I’m goin' again. / What you gonna do when you come back? / Take a little walk by the railroad track. / Hambone. In a second set of lyrics, the words go: Hambone, hambone / Have you heard? / Papa’s gonna buy me a mockingbird. / And if that mockingbird don’t sing / Papa’s gonna buy me a diamond ring. / And if that diamond ring don’t shine / Papa’s gonna take it to the five and dime. / Hambone. In a third set, the lyrics go: Hambone, hambone / Where you been? / Round the world and I’m going again. / I just skinned an alley cat / To make my wife a Sunday hat. / Took the hide right off a goat / To make my wife a Sunday coat. / Hambone. In yet another set, the lyrics can be sung as: Hambone, hambone / Trying to eat / Ketchup on his elbow, pickle on his feet / Bread in the basket / Chicken in the stew / Supper on the fire for me and you. / Hambone. As you get more and more comfortable with the rhythm of the song, you can show off by speeding up your slaps and going at a faster pace. Maintain the same pattern and the same set of quarter and eighth notes, but work faster or slower as it appeals to you.
Slap your thigh. Strike your thigh again. Move up to your heart. Strike your thigh twice. Slap your heart again. Move back down to the thigh for another slap. Give your thigh a final slap as you conclude the song. Sing along. Speed up and slow down.