Familiarize yourself with the basic steps and combinations used in tap dancing. Even the most complex routines are composed through a combination of many simpler steps.
Understand the differences between a "toe" and a "heel." These moves may sound fairly interchangeable, but form the basis of many of the rhythmic sounds generated in tap music. A toe is a step that leaves the heel on the ground while tapping the toe. Its shorthand notation is "to," a heel is a step which uses the heel tap to generate a different strike. The shorthand notation for a heel is "h."
Understand the difference between a "stamp" and a "stomp." These two terms are often a large source of confusion to new dancers or accompanists, but are actually quite easy to distinguish. A stamp is a flat-footed stamp on the ground in which both taps on the dancer's shoe hit the ground at the same time with the weight of his leg behind it. The notation for a stamp is "x." A stomp is a step in which the dancer stomps his foot to the ground lightly with more emphasis on the heel than the toe. It has a slightly different timbre, and is notated with the letter "o."
Learn to recognize a "dig toe" and a "touch." These steps have less descriptive names and may not be immediately evident to someone trying read tap music. A dig toe is a two-step move in which the dancer digs her heel into the floor and then taps her toe to the ground. It has a very recognizable cadence and uses the notation "dto" in tap music. The touch is a common single-tap step which utilizes only one of the two taps on the dancer's shoes. It is performed by a dancer lightly and quickly tapping the ball of her foot to the ground and then quickly removing it. The notation for a touch is "tch."
Distinguish between a "jump," "leap," and "hop." These three steps all utilize the dancer's airborne momentum, but do so in different ways. A jump is a simple step in which the dancer jumps off the balls of both feet and then lands using only the toe taps on his shoes. It is notated by the letter "j." A leap is a bound from the ball of one foot to the ball of the other. The motion is somewhat like jogging, and it produces a quick, yet resounding sound. The notation for a leap is "le." A hop is just like a jump, but using only one foot. The dancer simply jumps off of, and lands on the ball of a single foot. It is notated with the letters "ho."
Combine the knowledge of these nine basic steps to tackle most beginner tap sheet music. While there are many more tap steps than could be included in this article, these steps form the foundation of early tap dance.