Tapping your foot while playing - Please Stop?

[Stewie]

Oh No! Those are my sneakers, I often wear them, but they haven't been that clean in a long time.

 

[AudioTaper]

Les does it. Theres a little at 0:22, and a little more at 1:13. And a lot more at 2:16...

 

[Lagado]

If you have a digital watch with an alarm, set the alarm for a minute. Start the watch and start counting yourself. At 60 BPM I subdivide the beat into three for a better reference, see how you do.

 

[dan1952]

I wear 17EEEE shoes, and, yes, I tap my foot.
Hard not to notice...

 

[Lagado]

If you are providing the time reference to tap your foot, tap an imaginary foot...

 

[eddododo]

Do you tap your foot to keep time? I sure do. And in recent videos of me I see just how distracting it is. It has caused me to stop wearing white shoes on stage. Beyond that I think I need to stop tapping my foot and maybe start bouncing my leg or swaying or something more dance-like to keep time. I'm not sure I see many pro entertainers tapping their foot.

Do you tap your foot? Or have you stopped? If so, how?

So there’s layers here...

I HAVE had students that I had to wean off the foot tapping; for many it’s a crutch and a vestige of school band, and at some point it’s time to learn to internalize tempo and pulse effectively. It’s worth noting that many of the students who robotically and compulsively tap their feet playing don’t really have the best time... it’s a little bit like pitch in that way, the crutches and externalizations can help, like bumpers in bowling, but they don’t prepare you for life without, unless you specifically plan it to do so.

I’ll note that when they DO have incredible time already, I don’t make a big point out of the foot tapping.. I HAVE had to mention it in the cases where it just looks silly; there’s just this look sometimes, where the specific movement and constancy of it just looks like a middle school band kid
I don’t think it’s a huge crime to, say, Tao through a tricky intensely syncopated part... again it’s just a little better to have great time itself, but if you DO and you simply prefer to externalize a beat to work against, go ahead.

And then we come to this- try moving your BODY. Players with questionable time who don’t tap their feet will almost certainly have better time if you get them to boogie with the groove a little bit, head nods, chicken elbows, whatever it is. It also helps groups play more together, and it’s necessary for silent count offs and big rests. For an obsessive foot tapper, I would suggest that grooving your body will LOOK less sophomoric than just tapping your foot. Plus, it’s already kind of a running joke that a lot of bassists are statues.

 

[Nev375]

What's wrong with being distracting?

 

[sawzalot]

If musicians shouldn’t do that, someone should tell The Edge. Might help his band be more successful.

 

[DavC]

as long as 'whatever' is happening in the proper time ... !! who cares .?!

many people hear/feel/sense the beat ' in their head ' ... but by the time they tap or clap , there is a delay .. !! plz stop that .. !

 

[DeepSouth]

Its likely been mentioned but tapping ones foot is nothing vs Joe Dart and his bird neck thing haha.

 

[dr doofie]

I remember a Ray Parker Jr. Interview where he stated that he literally chomped his natural teeth away

Wow, man...
I’ll have to find an alternative time keeper that doesn’t destroy dentifrice.

 

[dr doofie]

All this talk of swaying...
Like drifting, or more like drunken weaving?
I’m picturing everyone being held up by a precariously balanced bass guitar, rocking back and forth.

 

[dr doofie]

If musicians shouldn’t do that, someone should tell The Edge. Might help his band be more successful.

Yeah
There’s a band that NEVER plays in time

 

[jthisdell]

Well it's after Labor Day, so no white shoes, tapping or otherwise.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

View attachment 3990080

What's wrong with being distracting?

OMG... there are things that you just can't Un-See.

 

[RabidMusic]

I'd rather tap my foot than not be locked on time.

 

[Lagado]

I'd rather tap my foot than not be locked on time.

So people who don't tap their foot, don't play in time?

 

[D.A.R.K.]

In case it hasn't been mentioned, no one watching a musical performance cares if you tap your foot on stage. Literally, no one.

 

[Lagado]

In case it hasn't been mentioned, no one watching a musical performance cares if you tap your foot on stage. Literally, no one.

People don't care about a lot of things.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

or crotch thrusting for me.

On the beat or off it?