Toe tapping and all that jazz

Often mentioned is "musicality" in a great hifi system. Although I seldom see "musicianship". The ability to tell the quality of the artist behind making the music. Perhaps when one becomes engaged with the musicianship, your toes start tapping as you unconsciously connect with the artist performing.  Easier when watching a live band performing songs you know.

On another system I used in the past, no matter what album I put on from any band; I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was listening to the same musicians recording in the same studio but just playing different stuff - apart from vocals and the odd few.  Found my toes were not tapping as they should.

Jazz on the other hand is often not so bound by the 4 by 4 beat that drives so much pop and rock.  When those syncopated 6 by 8 rhythms start being engaging the toes need to be more dexterous. 

I suppose it depends on the person, as Tobyjug says 4/4 has a lot to answer for, also called Common Time, it fits with the human condition, think sea shanties and work songs.

I tap along to just about anything, but I play and when at college joined clog and morris dancing. Dearly beloved says I have restless feet. Go to YouTube for Stepling - The Butchers of Bristol, I was in the audience and followed every tune, being unfit I was about as tired as Toby come the interval, and I was sat down!

I also tend to mentally "predict" key and melody changes. I have a concert partner who sits stock still, but again as a player she takes it all in and repeats phrases after from memory.

I happily tap along to my system, but also in the car. I hate family events with discos, poor sound systems, they ruin thd music, so it is not a case of easily satisfied.

Interesting the mention of 4/4 time - but I’m unclear if the suggestions are that people are more likely or less likely to tap to 4/4, apologies if I have misunderstood, , but the comments seem to me to imply that tapping is more likely at 4/4, so less likely feature listening to jazz, yet I had been gaining the impression that it is considered that toe tapping to jazz is de rigour.

However, I am far from not convinced that toes “should” tap, nor that it is a sign of ‘musicality’ - or if so, a lot of live music isn’t musical, as I would say my tapping of feet at live performances is no more than at home. but although an interesting subject that happily can continue, though I suggest with reference to the thread https://forums.naimaudio.com/t...n-with-foot-tapping?  a bit over a year ago, this thread didn’t set out to explore toe tapping per se, rather whether the desire to tap toes, and the desire for the music replay system to somehow encourage the music to trigger that, is related to a love of jazz, and those of us who really do not like jazz need not suffer the affliction unless either we choose, or the some other trigger applies such as high sound level, unexpected tune recognition etc.

Playing Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway as I write this, at a couple of points when I started following a particular rhythmic instrumental theme in the music, rather than listening to the entire thing, a toe did start to tap - and stopped when I ‘zoomed out’ mentally to listen to the whole aural image. Of course, the frequent tempo changes if nothing else would also interrupt tapping.

Innocent Bystander posted:

Interesting the mention of 4/4 time - but I’m unclear if the suggestions are that people are more likely or less likely to tap to 4/4, apologies if I have misunderstood, , but the comments seem to me to imply that tapping is more likely at 4/4, so less likely feature listening to jazz, yet I had been gaining the impression that it is considered that toe tapping to jazz is de rigour.

However, I am far from not convinced that toes “should” tap, nor that it is a sign of ‘musicality’ - or if so, a lot of live music isn’t musical, as I would say my tapping of feet at live performances is no more than at home. but although an interesting subject that happily can continue, though I suggest with reference to the thread https://forums.naimaudio.com/t...n-with-foot-tapping?  a bit over a year ago, this thread didn’t set out to explore toe tapping per se, rather whether the desire to tap toes, and the desire for the music replay system to somehow encourage the music to trigger that, is related to a love of jazz, and those of us who really do not like jazz need not suffer the affliction unless either we choose, or the some other trigger applies such as high sound level, unexpected tune recognition etc.

Playing Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway as I write this, at a couple of points when I started following a particular rhythmic instrumental theme in the music, rather than listening to the entire thing, a toe did start to tap - and stopped when I ‘zoomed out’ mentally to listen to the whole aural image. Of course, the frequent tempo changes if nothing else would also interrupt tapping.

 

There is some scientific research on toe tapping  https://www.sciencedaily.com/r.../07/160708082033.htm

Although with your correlation to jazz, it might be the 4/4 toe tap and head nod combo when engaging with complex syncopated rhythms. 

notnaim man posted:

 

I happily tap along to my system, but also in the car. 

Might this explain your erratic inability to keep a steady speed on the freeway?  (assuming you are a right foot tapper?)  Which also begs the question, is there anyone who taps only their left foot?  Not sure if this is possible?

Innocent Bystander posted:

Interesting the mention of 4/4 time - but I’m unclear if the suggestions are that people are more likely or less likely to tap to 4/4, apologies if I have misunderstood, , but the comments seem to me to imply that tapping is more likely at 4/4, so less likely feature listening to jazz, yet I had been gaining the impression that it is considered that toe tapping to jazz is de rigour.

 

 

It's a long time since I had music lessons, so there is some generalising and inaccuracy - my understanding is that 2/4 and 4/4 relate to two hands and four fingers, beat rates to pulse.

Then, work songs tend to be 4/4, very very generalising, most music before 1900 was in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time (I am well aware that there plenty of examples where this was not so) and the cross fertilisation of western and African music gave us blues and jazz. The gave feeling came from the African emphasis of different beats in the time signature. My impression of toe tapping in "hifi" is that the majority of tunes demonstrations used rock music which grew from blues, rock and roll from the 1950s onwards. About the same time that the development of jazz bought sub-genres other that New Orleans/trad. So quite heavily a common time influence in beat. "Artificial" time signatures don't stop foot tapping, although (for me) my most extreme example of Murmeration by Blazing Flame defies any attempt to follow or predict. There seems to be a greater use of artificial times in classical, popular and jazz in the last 100 years.

In my earlier reply i gave an example and explanation that fitted my playing, dancing background and music choices that cover most genres, yes, I do tap to the 1812 Overture!

I understand what I am writing when I write it, so simplification rules in the above.

Florestan posted:

notnaim man posted:

 

I happily tap along to my system, but also in the car. 

Might this explain your erratic inability to keep a steady speed on the freeway?  (assuming you are a right foot tapper?)  Which also begs the question, is there anyone who taps only their left foot?  Not sure if this is possible?

No, that's what cruise control is for.

Seriously, road safety rules, it might just be finger tapping....

notnaim man posted:

Florestan posted:

notnaim man posted:

 

I happily tap along to my system, but also in the car. 

Might this explain your erratic inability to keep a steady speed on the freeway?  (assuming you are a right foot tapper?)  Which also begs the question, is there anyone who taps only their left foot?  Not sure if this is possible?

No, that's what cruise control is for.

Seriously, road safety rules, it might just be finger tapping....

Got it...  Actually, road safety and good music for me is a dangerous combination for me.  Hard for me to concentrate on the road and safe driving when I get in the zone and focused on great music.  Similar to having a good conversation along the trip.  Drive three hours and at the end you can't remember one detail of the trip and it seems like only a short time has passed.