I've been asked to find some recorded music for a tap dance. It needs to be about 1.5 mins or be cut to this - probably something reasonably upbeat and with a strong rhythm. Problem is it needs to be something called 'tacit and stop' which I take to mean it has occasional in-time gaps for tapping (i.e. dance dance dance dance dance dance tappety tappety tap etc. etc.) - I can find pieces of music like this but they've already got the taps recorded in them. Style doesn't really matter.

Any ideas?

Contact the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance) on 020 7377 1577, and explain your query. They have a syllabus for tap exams, and so will be able to either recommend suitable pieces, or put you in touch with a tap teacher. I'd love to help further, but my tap is limited...very limited
I trained with them many years ago,and I'm sure you'll find them most helpful.

Sadly, the query has already come from an ISTD tap teacher so there won't be much hope there. It seems that there are limited suggestions for pieces of this particular music It doesn't have to be specifically for tap, it can just be any old music.

Messaged the local dance teachers, I'll let you know if they've any ideas.

I do remember having a top hat & cane tap routine in a show in Athens. It was danced to C'est Magnifique. We did have live music for performances, but used a recording for rehearsal. However, I don't know which version the recording was from, and I'm no longer in touch with anyone from that show, so I wouldn't be able to find out. There was a tap routine in the film "Young Frankenstein" to Puttin on the Ritz, but as the taps are recorded as part of the soundtrack for film, you may have to find another version.

Response from teachers is try someone like Dave Brubeck, searching youtube for Rag Time and 'stop time jazz'. Enjoying Take 5 though I'm not sure it's what you're after

Thanks for your suggestions!

Well then, why not record a piece of suitable music leaving out some bars at suitable places? If you have a metronome with a flashing light and not one that makes an audible tick you would be able to count the tacit bars accurately.

Asked OH who plays for ISTD dance schools he says "The usual suspect is Scott Joplin's 'Stop-Time Rag' - the third (I think) section."

Sorry can't help with the query, but

Not sure if this will be of much help, but there is a piece of tap dance music in the score of Singing in the Rain - it has tacits and stop included. I wish I could remember the exact piece but it is a tap break in the middle section of one of the chorus numbers - it was a long time ago that I did the show, sorry!

Thanks BadStrad - I think the Stoptime Rag looks just the ticket

Glad to help. OH has been playing for dance schools for about fifteen years, so he's played pretty much everything that could come up. His latest project is working on some CDs of improvised music for the free dance exercises.

If you need any more help, let me know.