Science Says This Simple Trick Could Help You Hear Better in Loud Bars

If you've ever found yourself nodding along and pretending to hear your friends at a noisy bar or party, you're not alone—and now, science might have a surprisingly simple solution.

A new study out of France suggests that tapping your finger could actually help you hear better when there's a lot of background noise. Yes, really.

Researchers had participants listen to spoken sentences layered over loud, distracting sounds—basically simulating the chaos of a bustling bar. The twist? When participants tapped their finger during the exercise, either in sync with a beat or at their own rhythm, they consistently understood more words.

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What’s Going On in Your Brain?

According to the study, it likely comes down to how our brains are wired. The regions of the brain that handle fine motor control (like tapping or foot-tapping) are closely linked to the auditory processing centres.

By engaging your motor system—through something as subtle as tapping—you might be giving your brain a better shot at filtering out the noise and honing in on speech.

It’s a bit like giving your brain a metronome to help it stay focused.

Next Time You're Out, Give It a Try

So the next time you’re out at a noisy restaurant, wedding reception, or cocktail hour and can’t catch a word anyone is saying, try tapping your foot to the music or drumming your fingers on the table.

It won’t make the place any quieter, but it might help your brain cut through the clutter. Plus, let’s be honest—it’s a lot more subtle than yelling, “WHAT?” across the table for the third time.