Syncopated Sounds
Finding the Right Music for Tap Choreography
The conversation between a tap dancer's feet and the music isn't just accompaniment—it's a dialogue. Choosing the right track is the first, and most crucial, step in choreographing that conversation.
It starts in the body. A good piece of music for tap doesn't just make you nod your head; it makes your feet itch. You feel the potential rhythms in your calves, the accents in your hips. The search is less about finding a "good song" and more about discovering a rhythmic partner—one with space, character, and a pulse that complements your own.
Beyond the Obvious: Expanding Your Sonic Palette
While jazz standards and big band classics are foundational for a reason, limiting yourself to them is like a painter using only primary colors. The contemporary tap scene thrives on unexpected musical marriages.
Unexpected Genre Crossovers
Electronic & Ambient: The clean, precise production of artists like Floating Points or Four Tet offers a minimalist canvas. Your steps become the primary percussion, interacting with synth textures and deep sub-basses.
Neo-Soul & R&B: The laid-back, groove-centric feel of artists like Tom Misch or Hiatus Kaiyote provides a lush, human rhythm section. The "pocket" in this music is deep and forgiving, perfect for exploring smooth, fluid phrasing.
Global Rhythms: Explore the complex polyrhythms of Afrobeat, the intricate patterns of Balkan brass, or the melodic percussion of Latin jazz. These genres challenge Western time signatures and push your rhythmic thinking.
What to Listen For: The Choreographer's Checklist
When auditioning a track, go beyond the melody. Put on your choreographer's ears and dissect it.
- The Space Between Notes: Is there room for your steps to be heard, or is every sonic space filled? Silence is part of the music.
- Dynamic Range: Does the track have quiet moments that build to crescendos? This natural arc is a built-in dramatic structure for your piece.
- Instrumental Texture: Can you isolate different layers—the bass line, the hi-hat, a piano riff? Each can inspire a different movement motif.
- The "Pocket": That intangible, groovy feeling where the rhythm sits. Does it feel tight and precise, or loose and swingy? Your choreography should live in that same pocket.
The best tap music doesn't tell you what to do; it asks you a question. A staccato trumpet blast asks, "Can you answer this?" A walking bassline wonders, "How will you walk with me?" Your choreography is the answer.
The Modern Toolbox: Finding & Shaping Your Sound
Gone are the days of just a record player. Today's choreographer is part curator, part sound designer.
- Digging Deep: Use playlist algorithms to your advantage. Start with a seed song you love and follow the "radio" or "fans also like" features on streaming platforms to dive down rabbit holes.
- Embracing the Edit: Don't be afraid to cut, loop, or splice. Use simple, accessible software to extend an instrumental break, create a custom intro, or layer in a specific percussion sound that inspires you.
- Commissioning Original Work: Collaborating with a composer or beat-maker is the ultimate luxury. It allows for a completely symbiotic creation, where the music and choreography are built in tandem.
Pro Tip: Sometimes, the perfect track is hiding in a film score or video game soundtrack. These compositions are designed to support narrative and emotion without vocals, making them ideal for dance.
The Final Syncopation
Finding music is an act of creative listening. It requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to hear the potential for movement in everything from a rainstorm to a glitchy synth line. When you find that track that makes your rhythmic imagination fire on all cylinders, you'll know. The connection is immediate, electric, and undeniable. Your feet will have already started talking back.
So put on your headphones, listen not just with your ears but with your bones, and let the search for that perfect syncopated sound begin. The next great piece of tap choreography is waiting in a song you haven't heard yet.
