Things You'll Need:
- Music
- Tap shoes
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Step 1
Turn on some music. Listen for the beats. Almost all music has a definite rhythm which is a series of beats.
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Step 2
Clap the beats with your hands. Begin to count them out loud. Dance is performed in series of eight beats, so count in eight counts. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, repeat, one, two.....you get the idea.
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Step 3
Do some common tap steps. Do eight flaps in eight counts. The flaps should be evenly timed; this is rhythm. Now do a series of rifts. There are five count rifts and six count rifts. The five count rift goes "ball, heel, heel, ball, heel". The six count goes "ball, heel, heel, heel, ball, heel".
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Step 4
Try to count to four and do a five count rift in four counts. Then do a six count rift in four counts. Do you hear the differences? Now speed it up and do a five count rift in two counts. The step is the same, you have only changed the rhythm.
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Step 5
Turn the music back on. Count aloud as you do common tap steps to it. Listen for the changes in the music, this is where the rhythm is changing. Your feet have to adapt to the change and either speed up or slow down. Sometimes there are even shortened measures of music where you might have a six count to work with instead of an eight count. If you count out loud and clap you'll soon begin feeling and hearing it more easily. Good luck!
