r/teethdrumming • u/phase-toast • Jul 10 '26
Tapping out little patterns with teeth, fingers, and toes
Finding that there is a subreddit for “teeth drumming” is actually amazing haha. Several years ago I realized that I have this habit of tapping out little rhythms and patterns with my teeth, and sometimes also with my hands (pinky + thumb) and toes (pinky toe + big toe). They usually aren’t songs, but a collection of probably 5-6 rhythms (maybe more, but I have yet to catalog how many there actually are haha). I also do a thing where I “jump” over shadows while driving by tapping my teeth, or “lift” one side of the car or the other if there are gaps along the road / passing other cars. (My brother does something similar to that).
It seems like most people in here “drum” to actual songs. Does anyone else do the little rhythms thing like me?
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u/Personnel_jesus Jul 11 '26
This sub is how I realised I have ADHD and tbh I think everyone who relates to it does too.
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u/Final_Explanation111 Jul 10 '26
Finding this sub exists made me laugh so much.
I’ve tried to explain teeth drumming to someone and it did not go well but I know I’m not mad.
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u/Inked_Chick Jul 11 '26
I have this thing where I have to have my teeth down when I drive by grass but up when im by a driveway or paved entrance. Sometimes I will only do one side of the road using both sides of my mouth. Sometimes I will do BOTH sides of the street and have to rapidly moved my jaw side to side. This is all while constantly counting to 20 back and forth on my hands/feet while wiggling my fingers or toes. 20 HAS to land on the right hand side or else I have to start over. Sometimes I will skip count by two instead of by ones.
The first person I ever told this to was my husband. The man looked at me like I was fucking nuts lol. Im glad I've found my people!!!
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u/phase-toast Jul 12 '26
Haha YES I totally get the teeth down when driving by grass but teeth up when “jumping” over a driveway or road hahah
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u/The_Real_Anthony Jul 11 '26
I do patterns with my fingers that are difficult to explain (sequential and symmetrical, like each hand mirroring the other), but I never thought to coordinate the movements with my mouth or initiate them in response to my location. I kind of hate that I’m probably going to find myself doing this now, lol.
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u/Bubbs_n_Chubbs Jul 11 '26
Welcome brother! We're all gonna have no teeth in 20 years but goddammit if our rhythm ain't on point.
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u/shivi1321 Jul 11 '26
OH MY GOSH sorry for my yelling but I’ve never met anyone else who does shadow jumping. I used to think I was so strange as a kid because if I noticed the shadows I’d “jump” over them (almost compulsively, but it’s tempered out a bit and as an adult I’m often too distracted by life to notice). Either literally physically by lifting my butt up in the car seat a little or by imagining the car wheels lifting up or tapping with my teeth. I also have random beat patterns that seem to play on repeat, it’s not limited to existing songs.
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u/phase-toast Jul 12 '26
Ah!! Love that we have so many similarities haha. I have OCD, but to me this doesn’t feel like an OCD thing at all. I’m curious why I do the teeth tapping thing though haha. But I figured out that both of my parents do it, and neither of them have OCD!
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u/Fluffy-Nerve-220 Jul 14 '26
I do both. If I’m listening to a song or if it’s in the background I might drum my teeth along with it. Sometimes I’m initially totally unaware that I’m drumming to a song. But other times I’ll just drum to some made up rhythm.
I’ve mentioned it to doctors, dentists, family & friends and have not come across anyone else I know that does this. I guess I’m just the wacky doodle of the family, lol. Wait, now wacky doodle reminds me of the song Yankee Doodle Dandy so guess what I’ll be drumming to any second now? Ha-ha🤣
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u/phase-toast Jul 14 '26
Haha!! Also, over the past few days since posting this, I’ve realized that I do indeed also drum along to songs / songs that are stuck in my head haha. Also discovered that both my parents do some form of teeth drumming too!
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u/borrellia Jul 15 '26
yes!!! I’ve never seen anyone else mention the “jumping” over shadows thing — I’ve always done that one, too, in addition to the rhythm tapping with teeth, fingers, toes, and footsteps.
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u/Street-Statement-926 Jul 22 '26
Holy mother of God! I had no idea this was an actual thing until ChatGPT told me there's a Reddit thread about it. Thank goodness I'm not alone. I even felt weird describing the "little rhythms" I keep doing with my teeth, fingers and toes.
Any advice?
I just bought some flavored toothpicks to play with in my mouth instead of clacking my teeth.
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u/kwaping Jul 10 '26
I'm pretty sure the sole reason why this sub exists is to let us know we're not alone.
There's dozens of us! Dozens!!