Foot tapping question

[slide496]

Has anyone tried attaching a piezo or Bill Lawrence type pickup to a shoe with velcro and then amping that?

[toremainn]

I've heard of people attaching pickups to the heel, but not how it sounded.
My best advice: place an Omnidirectional Microphone in a box. It works for me.

[gaucho]

I always wondered about attaching a tap off a tap shoe to either the heel or toe of a shoe. Johnny Winter's song "Let Me In" sounds like he's doing that. Also thought about trying the low-tech version we used in elementary school... pushing thumb tacks into you shoe so the head makes the clicking sound.

[Deleted]

Hi Harriet
I believe Dave Clark (Five) patented the 'electric boot', which he used on 'bits and pieces'. Or something. So its not a daft idea.
TT

[slide496]

Cool ideas and thoughts, thank you. I been thinking about it for a while and either a pickup or a mike into an amp will allow an amplified sound off the floor. Haven't had any complaints or retaliation so far in the condo from neighbors about my playing and want to keep it that way.

Just read Marshall Crenshaw apparently had someone try to set up something to get a sound of his shoe on plywood and the guy who set it up indicate it wasn't very successful.

[eggy]

Charlie Patton,Lemon Jefferson,Skip James and others all made recordings with miked feet.To me it adds much interest and drive to a singer.

[televiking]

My friend made me tappin' shoes with a piezo on the left sole. Works great.

[eggy]

Harriet

I read that Patton used Cleats on his shoes for more volume from feet.Also that Skip James stamp on a wooden board in studio
for recording.Perhaps a combination of two may work for a good sound.
eggy

[slide496]

The recordings in studio with shoe on a stage sound great to me

The sound I made that I like best for me how I play was from the toe of a shoe shaped like a cowboy boot -I think I am going to try and see the effect of a thumbtack - thanks for that Gaucho.

[washboardchris]

Hi, I did at one time have taps on my shoes &played a washboard that rested on the legs of the mikestand (hence the name)

[slide496]

Tried a thumbtack experiment - seemed good for a precise little tap the first time,but the quality of sound was thin the way I did so trying something else.

[wolvoboy]

thought you guys might like this john lee hooker,you can really hear that foot going

wolvoboy

[Brad Bechtel]

You could always buy a Beat Root.
beat-root.co.uk/#

[Gerry C]

Enough already with all these artificial aids! For outstanding rhythmic footwork, the only one to watch these days is Chris Smither, the Fred Astaire of acoustic rhythm:



Cheerily,

Gerry C

[gaucho]

One musician friend of mine just taps his toe on one of the legs of his mic stand (he has a SM57 and SM58 on it)' He also dangles a couple of big flat washers from one of the lock levers. The mics pick up the tapping a bit and it sounds really good!