My friend invited me to a party and we're all supposed to do Schnitzelbank there. I learned it back in elementary school, but somehow I forgot how to do the movements and what you're supposed to shout. Can someone explain that to me?
In Schnitzelbank, you alternate between making hand movements on your thighs and clapping your hands, while everyone shouts "Schnitzelbank" together - the movements are basically always the same, just rhythmic back and forth, and the fun is really about everyone keeping the same pace together and nobody falling out of rhythm.
That's actually less of a single sequence of moves and more like a rhythm game that looks different from region to region.
The standard version goes like this: you clap on your thighs, then clap your hands together, then left thigh, right thigh, hands again - and you do the whole thing in rhythm while everyone's shouting "Schnitzelbank." Some versions have extra moves like snapping or pointing, but the basic pattern is actually pretty simple once you've done it a couple times.
The main thing is just keeping the rhythm and not falling out of sync - it gets faster and faster.
Don't worry if you can't remember the exact sequence anymore - lots of people don't. The important thing is that you don't get all tense about it, just go with the rhythm of the group.
The basic idea: you slap your thighs alternately with both hands, then you clap your own hands, then you do a movement (some people raise their arms, some point at their neighbors or themselves), and the whole group shouts "Schnitzelbank!" in sync. The tempo is pretty fast and often gets faster. Each round follows the same pattern, but the movements in the middle (between the claps) can vary - sometimes it's hand movements, sometimes funny gestures or even little jumps.
Honestly, the thing is so different from region to region that there's no one right version. When you get there, just watch how the others do it and join in. If necessary, ask your friend beforehand which version they play. Most people are pretty relaxed about it and happy to help if you don't nail the rhythm right away. The main thing is that you have fun doing it.
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