I'm doing my grade 6 flute this June, but in order to keep the tempo steady and the rhythm right I find it helps to tap my foot. I've tried just moving my toes inside my shoe but it doesn't help, I'm aiming for a good distinction mark and I've always got high marks on my pieces (28, 28, 27 for grade 5) so I don't want to drag down my mark just because of this. I'm fine with the accompanied pieces as the piano keeps me in time.The study I'm doing is Hillbilly Holiday by the way.

I think it would depend greatly on the examiner, how obvious you were, and how rigid the piece needs to be tempo wise. Personally, I find foot tapping really annoying, but you might get away with it! I think it comes from years of playing with ground shaking foot tappers, who are generally just ahead of, or behind the beat!
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I never used to tap my foot until my then teacher drilled it into me. If my timing was off it would have helped but now I empathise with flute fanatic as I find it hard to get out of. I'm doing the wiggle toe thing at the moment.

No idea how it affects exam marks though sorry.

However, would foot tapping mark you down more than a beat going adrift??? I guess it could be a trade off.

Mnay years ago a friend whose then seven year old son took Grade 1 on the violin complained to me that the examiner had put on the mark sheet a remark to the effect that the child should not have been tapping his foot to keep time. It is impossible to know if this was just a remark or if it actually affected the marks. But I would be inclined to find a less obvious alternative. Perhaps persevere with the toe inside the shoe thing.

I noticed at orchestra rehearsal last night lots of us tapping our feet!!!!

Do you think that's why Fred Astaire tapped, to keep time?

Having just sung Monteverdi vespers as an alto, we were sitting on the same bit of staging as some of the basses who insisted on tapping their feet extremely vigorously to keep time . It was off-putting to say the least - and the bass I'm thinking of was 3 people away from me!

To the OP - could you develop an almost silent "heal tap" which I sometimes use if I need to do battle with the other parts of the chorus.

When I began learning piano, I found tapping my foot far easier way to keep time than counting in my head.. now very often I dont tap my foot the timing for notes has come to me. although occasionally tap my foot .. Dont know why now hehe.

I guess once your confident with the sequence of notes you have to play it becomes second nature.

Some conductors get really antsy about people tapping their feet, and it isn't a good habit to get in to, if you can help it. Could you try 'tapping' by exercising some other, less visible part of your bod eg clenching your thigh muscles instead?

Saying "I can't do it any other way" is liable to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do you have problems with any other pieces, or is it just this one, maybe because it is unaccompanied? Perhaps you could find some other activities to help you develop a more secure sense of pulse/steady beat? You could record yourself playing along to a metronome beat. Then play the piece again and get someone else to turn down the volume for a short period and see if you are still in time when they turn it up again - gradually extent the gaps in the music.

Sue's advice here is very good.

I don't play the flute, but I wonder would your examiner mark you down for tapping your foot as it might impact upon your posture/embouchure in some way? I don't know but I think it might be a plausible reason for marking you down in an exam.

That sounds like an invite to Samantha, and if you're within a gnat's crotchet of the original when the sound comes back on you'll get some points. And what do points mean?

I know Hillbilly Holiday: I can understand you wanting to tap your foot to this listening to it, let alone playing it!

Being overly rigid with movement isn't a good idea, it'll cause tension : think about when you listen to your favourite music, particularly if it has a strong beat (like jazzy/poppy stuff) - it's unlikely you'll stay perfectly still. If you move your toes inside your shoe (which I sometimes do), it won't in my opinion make a jot of difference : be wary of tapping your foot excessively though : particularly if it's noisy, that would be offputting.

My sax teacher swears by foot tapping for anything syncopated / off-beats. I'd suggest getting some nice quiet shoes (something with a rubber sole, maybe), so that you can make the motion without making too much sound. It's the movement rather than the noise which to my mind is actually helpful in keeping the beat.

You shouldn't need the noise, plus in an ensemble situation can be very off putting for everyone else, particular at stages where the tempo ought to be flexible.
I often find myself conducting behind the music in singing situations.