foot tapping

[Shaz]

OK i just recently started reading 1/8th notes and 1/16 notes and i am finding very hard to keep a good rythm with my foot tapping. for 1/8 notes i should pluck on both the up beat and down beat right? for some reason i am having a lot of trouble doing this

any advice would be much appreciated

[DaemonBass]

Normally your foot taps on quarter notes, it's just natural. Although sometimes with faster music I will notice tapping twice on each quarter note (but that's just me). It will help you just count as you play while tapping your foot on quarter notes. Like for eighth notes: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4. You play 8 notes but only tap 4 times. Or for 16ths: 1 e & ah, 2 e & ah, 3 e & ah, 4 e & ah.

If you want good time don't use your foot alone, get a metronome and tap your foot to that. I'm sure there are a lot of good advice regarding use of metronomes here, do a search, I don't really want to get into it right now

[Lewk]

I read somewhere, possibly ed friedland in a bass player this year, that he taps slower for faster notes. this is something to to with your notes falling more naturally into the pocket, and thus sounding more fluid than mechanical.

so he will tap on the 1 & 3 when he is playing 16ths.

i've tried that, and it seems to work, but i don't play many 16ths.

[Howard K]

I see tapping your foot (nodding head, etc) as something you should be able to do naturally, because it helps when working stuff out, counting phrases, bars etc.. but something that you shouldnt neccessarily have to do all the time.

[Pöl]

Just DANCE, and your feet will follow!!
Don't forget it's music: dance with your feet, count with your head..

my 2 cents...

[WillPlay4Food]

Originally Posted by Shaz

OK i just recently started reading 1/8th notes and 1/16 notes and i am finding very hard to keep a good rythm with my foot tapping. for 1/8 notes i should pluck on both the up beat and down beat right? for some reason i am having a lot of trouble doing this

any advice would be much appreciated

I have Carol Kaye's Bass DVD and her plucking method is pretty simple, tap the foot opposite your plucking hand (if you pluck with right hand, tap left foot) and move your pick in time with your feet. As your foot moves down, pluck downward, and as your foot comes up, pluck upward.

It takes a little getting used to, but makes playing the upbeats or strange rhythms easier to play.

I still play fingerstyle mostly but I like Carol's picking method.

[Jacob Bartfield]

Originally Posted by Pöl

Just DANCE, and your feet will follow!!
Don't forget it's music: dance with your feet, count with your head..

I agree. Foot tapping isn't something that should be relied on. You should be able to play bass in time without tapping your foot.

[Infernal Affair]

There's lots of different things one can do besides foot tapping. Since I use a metronome most of the time I tend to not foot tap, but I do find myself swaying back and forth at half or whole notes.

- Chris