The Ultimate Playlist for Tap

10 Must-Have Tracks for Your Next Routine

Forget scrolling through endless streams of generic beats. The right music doesn't just accompany your tap routine—it converses with it, challenges it, and elevates it. Whether you're crafting a competition piece, a classroom combo, or just jamming in the studio, this curated playlist is your secret weapon. Here are 10 timeless and contemporary tracks that understand the language of tap.

Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)

Benny Goodman Orchestra

The big band anthem. That relentless drum intro by Gene Krupa is a tap dancer's metronome. The driving swing rhythm builds and builds, offering endless possibilities for explosive breaks, rhythmic trading with the brass, and pure, unadulterated joy.

Tap Tip: Use the clarinet and trumpet riffs as cues for rapid-fire cramp rolls or time step variations. Play with the dynamic shifts—go soft and intricate during the quieter sections, then explode when the full band comes in.

Swing Era Classic

Fever

Peggy Lee

Less is more. This track is a masterclass in space and subtlety. The slow-burn tempo, the finger snaps, the walking bass line—it demands precision and musicality. Perfect for a routine focused on tone, texture, and intimate storytelling.

Tap Tip: Isolate your heel drops, toe taps, and soft shuffles to match the sparse instrumentation. Think of your taps as the percussion part that's missing from the original recording.

Cool & Sultry

The Mooche

Duke Ellington

Pure bluesy, smoky atmosphere. Ellington's genius orchestration creates a world you can step into. The slinky melodies and hypnotic rhythm are ideal for character-driven tap, allowing for slithering slides, dragged brushes, and a deeply felt, grooving pulse.

Tap Tip: Emulate the growling trumpet and clarinet lines with low, sliding cramp rolls or bent-knee shuffles. Let the spaces between the notes breathe.

Blues Infusion

Take Five

Dave Brubeck Quartet

(or a modern cover with a solid backbeat)

The ultimate challenge in 5/4 time. This iconic jazz piece pushes you out of the 4/4 comfort zone, forcing creative phrasing and unexpected accents. It's a brain teaser for your feet that results in uniquely sophisticated choreography.

Tap Tip: Count it "1-2-3, 1-2" to internalize the 5/4 feel. Build your phrases in groups of five or ten counts. Let Paul Desmond's iconic sax line guide your melodic taps.

Odd-Time Challenge

Mood

Ian Isiah, Zebra Katz

A modern, minimalist electronic track with a deep, undeniable pulse. The sparse production and repetitive vocal hooks create a hypnotic canvas for contemporary, groove-based tap. It’s less about flashy turns and more about becoming part of the machine.

Tap Tip: Use the sub-bass as your foundation. Layer repetitive, gritty rhythms (scuffs, stomps, electric boogaloos) that lock in with the synth stabs. Think like a producer adding a percussive layer.

Modern Pulse

Caravan

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Exotic, driving, and fiercely rhythmic. Blakey's explosive drumming sets a high-octane pace. The Eastern-tinged melody invites dramatic flair and complex polyrhythms, perfect for a routine that showcases power, speed, and intensity.

Tap Tip: Have a rhythmic conversation with Blakey's drum solos. Use the track's crescendos for accelerating pullbacks or turning wings. This is a track for bold, statement-making steps.

Hard Bop Drive

No Hay Problema

Pantha du Prince

Atmospheric techno with intricate, bell-like percussion. This is ambient tap territory. The track builds slowly with layered melodic rhythms, allowing you to start with simple, clear textures and gradually build complexity, mirroring the music's evolution.

Tap Tip: Mimic the bell sounds with sharp, clear toe taps and clicks. Use the track's expansive reverb to your advantage—let your sounds decay into the space.

Ambient Texture

I Got Rhythm

Gene Kelly (or any blazing fast bebop version)

The foundational chord progression of jazz. A Gene Kelly version keeps it danceable and bright, while a Charlie Parker take offers blistering speed. It's the perfect vehicle for clean, classic time steps, improvisation, and showcasing flawless technique with a smile.

Tap Tip: Build your routine on the classic "I Got Rhythm" changes. Trade fours and eights with the melody instruments. It's a perfect track for practicing your fundamentals at speed.

Standard Reimagined

Stomp and Buck Dance

Cecil & Genevieve (or a raw blues guitarist)

Back to the roots. This is pre-jazz, country-blues rhythm. The raw guitar and vocal interplay highlight the deep African-American roots of tap. It’s earthy, communicative, and perfect for flat-footed stomps, brushes, and creating a compelling, grounded groove.

Tap Tip: Don't just dance *to* it, dance *with* it. Respond to the vocal calls. Prioritize weight and groove over height and flash. This is about feeling, not just footwork.

Roots & Blues

All Blues

Miles Davis

The epitome of cool. That iconic 6/8 waltz feel is simultaneously relaxed and propulsive. It’s sophisticated, spacious, and endlessly malleable. This track encourages lyrical, flowing movement and deep musical interpretation over a rock-solid groove.

Tap Tip: Float over the 6/8 time. Use triplet-based steps (shuffle ball changes, riff walks) to glide with the rhythm. Let Miles’ muted trumpet inspire soft, melodic phrasing in your taps.

Modal Cool

Your Studio Session Starts Now

This playlist is more than a collection of songs—it's a toolkit. Each track unlocks a different dimension of tap: history, groove, innovation, and pure feeling. So lace up, hit play, and listen not just with your ears, but with your feet. The conversation between you and the music is where the magic happens. Now go make some noise.