Can't tap my foot while playing

jen f · Post by **jen f** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:26 am

Most Irish musicians I've seen tap their foot to the beat while playing. When I'm listening, I can tap my foot, bob my head, any number of things to move to the music; it comes naturally and I don't really have to think about it. However, as soon as I pick up the whistle to play, it's no longer natural. I have to really think about it and make a conscious effort, and then it messes up my playing. I don't think it's a matter of feeling the rhythm, as I keep a steady beat while playing. Anyone else have this problem? Will I ever be a "real" musician if I can't tap my foot?!

jhonan · Post by **jhonan** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:35 am

The main reason they tap their foot is to help them keep time! - There's no added musical value from tapping your foot.

If you can keep time without tapping your foot, then don't feel that you have to tap it. I find that I start tapping my foot sometimes without thinking... If I started concentrating on my foot tapping, then God help my playing!

John.

Mack.Hoover · Post by **Mack.Hoover** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:41 am

Why tap your foot when you have a built in metronome?
Get some spoons, bones, or a bodhran to enhance your gift when you aren't playing whistle.

Yes, I have the problem.

My name is Mack

Caj · Post by **Caj** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:59 am

jhonan wrote:The main reason they tap their foot is to help them keep time! - There's no added musical value from tapping your foot.

Oh, definitely not. The foot tapping is not for keeping time --- you should be able to keep time without tapping your feet at all. .

Jen, I used to have this problem too: if I started to tap my foot while playing, I got messed up, like I was trying to play two instruments at once. This was probably due to years of playing in school concert band in my youth, in which I learned very early on to internalize the rhythm.

Anyway, the good news is that this is easily cured with practice. Practice tapping your foot to some polkas, and pretty soon it will become second nature.

Caj

jhonan · Post by **jhonan** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:18 am

Caj wrote:Anyway, the good news is that this is easily cured with practice. Practice tapping your foot to some polkas, and pretty soon it will become second nature.

If it's not used for keeping time or to add to the performance in some way, then what's the point in doing it at all?

Is the inability to tap your foot really something that needs to be 'cured with practice'? - Or is foot tapping just something people do for show?....

John.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:18 am

i once met a woman from Wales who told me she spent tw oyears t olearn how to tap her feet the same way martin Hayes does. She still couldn't play her fiddle all that well so the point of the whole excercise escaped me.

If you don't need the feet t okeep you steady, don't go that way, you're better off without them. But then are you REALLY sure you're as steady as you think?

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:19 am

Jen,

I have a feeling that the reason why it's hard for you to tap the foot right now is because you're still thinking about the instrument, still making some effort to think about the notes, and it screws up your tapping. I tap my foot, and a LOT, all the time when I play the whistle, but I just started playing concertina and I can't tap my foot on all the tunes, I'm thinking so much about the instrument and the notes, and where I gotta put my finger next, that my foot just won't synchronize.

I think you need enough practice and time to become relaxed about your playin', and at one point you'll be able to tap the foot.

I don't agree with the others by the way, tapping the foot IS really important in ITM if you ask me, because you are playing with people, and it's no classical music, you don't have a guy in front of you with a stick to help the group keeps it's tempo. Tapping the foot is a good way to impose your own rythm, or to make sure everyone goes at pretty much the same speed.

I tend to go faster, though, and it won't fix that

jhonan · Post by **jhonan** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:27 am

I'm going to withdraw from this discussion!

I can't believe I even posted a response in the first place...

Do you really think people playing in sessions give that much thought to if or how or why their foot is tapping?....

It kind of reminds me of people in the Golf newsgroups discussing exactly what angle the wrist should be, or where your heel should be at the top of the backswing.... Fairly pointless analysis. In the end, just get out there and play!

John.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:31 am

My wife thinks my playing interrupts my foot tapping and encourages me to stick to what I'm good at.

If you have problems with tempo try to go slower and tackle small pieces, either with a metronome or with a recording. My biggest problem is that I like certain parts of a piece better than others and play some with passion and the others correctly.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:32 am

I have a few recordings where the foot tapping detracts from the music to my ear.

Cape Breton foot tapping is different (hope I got the area right) - tapping with both feet in a freaky syncopated way that really does enhance the music.

If you MUST tap, tap silently. You can just tap a toe inside your shoe. Show consideration for those who don't like the tapping. Bon't be a Bob the Bongo.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:34 am

John, you're right, off course just go out and play. What I mean is that you don't always play with people with excellent rythm, and tapping the foot is also a good way to remind THEM about the current rythm. I'm not saying you should tap the foot, or whatever, I'm just saying it's really a good way to communicate your rythm to others, especially those who don't have natural rythm. How many times my whistle teacher did look at me and started tapping his foot LOUDER like in saing "Hey boy, you're going faster, pay attention will ya?".

My goodness, getting out of a conversation because of what I said?

jhonan · Post by **jhonan** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:46 am

Azalin wrote:My goodness, getting out of a conversation because of what I said?

Nahhhh.... I'm not that sensitive....

[edit] the real reason I was getting out of the conversation was because the conversations in the Golf newsgroups wrecked my swing. Don't want the same thing happening here with overanalysis of my playing.... "Right... I must remember to tap my foot....."

[/edit]

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:50 am

Ahhh, good, I feel better

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:01 am

I didn't have too much trouble tapping my foot till I put a concertina on my knee....

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:16 am

Azalin wrote:John, you're right, off course just go out and play. What I mean is that you don't always play with people with excellent rythm, and tapping the foot is also a good way to remind THEM about the current rythm. I'm not saying you should tap the foot, or whatever, I'm just saying it's really a good way to communicate your rythm to others,

Az, i am not sure this is the right way to go about it. Yes you put the beats in place but the rest?

For example an English couple came t o the sundaynight session two weeks ago. The man is a decent fiddleplayer who listens to what is going on. The woman plays both the flute and the accordeon and thinks she's god's gift to Irish music.. The session was the three of us and the two of them. Now the woman has all the beats in place, but everything in between seems to have gone strangely lopsided. I find it absolutely impossible t oplay with her (which ofcourse makes her give you the look 'you don't have many tunes don't you?'). The two woman I was playing with tried to cope, the concertinaplayer taken more smoking breaks than usual, and longer ones to (the smoking ban can be a blessing), Josephine Marsh tried to tag along on the accordeon. After over an hour the visitors started slaughtering a few Paddy Fahey tunes and we all decided to take the fresh air and shout our frustration at the dark fields around. We tried to figure out what was going on inside, the woman's playing was so totally contrary to anything we were trying to do.

I don't know why I am telling you this, but having the beat secured by a heavy foot won't necessarily make people get things right, there are other things going too.

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