keeping time by tapping one's knees
Describes the action of slapping or tapping one's knees rhythmically, often to keep time with music or as a simple percussive accompaniment.
He kept time by tapping his knees along with the song.
At the Bon dance, some people beat the rhythm by slapping their knees.
足拍子 is keeping time by stamping one's feet; 膝拍子 uses the knees instead.
Standard kanji spelling for this compound.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen in informal writing.
Compound of 膝 (hiza, 'knee') and 拍子 (byōshi, 'beat, rhythm'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word transparently describes the action of tapping one's knees to keep time.