Tapping & Scratching ASMR
What is ASMR Tapping?
ASMR tapping is using a number of methods and environments such as tapping on wood, metal, laptop keyboards.
This is often accompanied by scratching and occasionally mouth sounds in order to deliver ASMR triggers and tingles.
ASMR tapping and scratching will help you relax, calm down and sleep and the content is usually produced with no talking to maximise the intensity of the triggers and tingles.
Benefits of Tapping ASMR
The key benefits of ASMR Tapping are one of relaxation, as an aid to sleep and helping you feel calm and safe in your environment.
We find it really helpful to improve our mood, as a distraction used for background noise and also to help relieve stress.
Types of Tapping ASMR
Tapping on surfaces for ASMR
Tapping on various surfaces creates a really calming and relaxing environment a lot of people are looking for to aid with improving the quality of their sleep.
The method used for the tapping is typically a soft and slow style that often almost turns into light scratching.
Visually the content is shot in close up so you really see the detail of the, usually, hands and nails.
The types of surfaces used varies quite a lot. Some, like glass and laptop keyboards produce quite a sharp, brittle sound.
Others like would produce a soft, more mellow sound, almost dulled but with a greater depth.
Surfaces such as say a sketchbook or paper produces an almost scratchy sound.
Personally one of my favourite sounds is that of one on a medium soft medium like leather as you get both the sharp taps but also a bit more depth and length to the notes produced. Hope that makes sense!
Example of surface tapping
ASMR Bakery is well know for her ASMR tapping content.
The video below is a really good example of various surfaces, in this case an iPad at 06:26, wood textured dining mat at 12:31, a sketchbook at 18:27 a very posh Gucci leather sunglasses case at 25:56
A laptop cooling mat and finally 32:03 cork which works really well creating softer sounds.
Particularly as the (very nice blue ish) nails are sometimes stopped and changed for the pads of the fingers. It creates a whole new sound.
No talking tapping and scratching ASMR
The no talking element of ASMR tapping really means there are no distractions from the tapping and scratching.
This allows you to really focus and get into the content, getting totally immersed in it.
This is super important if you are looking to get to sleep, or get back to sleep if you have woken up mid sleep.
I really like the combination of tapping and scratching. It adds whole new layers to the depth sound wise.
But also for those, like me, who also enjoy watching the scratching and tapping, visually it offers something different as well.
There is something really mesmerising and almost trippy about listening to the sounds but also watching the patterns and changing rhythms of the scratching. Love it!
Example of no talking tapping and scratching ASMR
We feature below a really relaxing video from Coromo Sara. ASMR, which as a bunch of great triggers for you to enjoy.
There is a lot so we have taken the time stamp to make it easier to find the triggers you like best.
But as one of the comments says ‘it’s tingles from start to finish!’
00:01 Preview 01:38 Start 01:42 Felt Scratching 05:04 Felt + Wooden fork (Scratching) 07:39 Cork Scratching 10:24 Nylon pouch Scratching 11:12 Nylon pouch 13:27 Sponge Scratching 1 16:41
Plastic sheet Scratching 20:29 Wood Scratching 22:08 Sponge Scratching 2 26:38 Interior bricks Scratching 30:35 EVA Pad Scratching 31:52 Plastic sheet Tapping 34:11 Nylon pouch Tapping 36:59 Wood Tapping 38:15 EVA Pad Tapping
Mouth Sounds
It is interesting that mouth sounds along with tapping is really popular but folks are less keen on tapping with talking.
I think its because with talking you are distracted, listening to the content, what is being said, as opposed to just being able to relax and enjoy the mouth sounds and tapping.
Often the mouth sounds are just unintelligible sounds but can sometimes drift into words and inaudible sounds. Weird, but works!
Example of mouth sounds and tapping
The tapping and mouth sounds video we feature below from Mads ASMR really focusses on combining the two aspects really well together.
They, tapping and mouth sounds, each work in their own right, and together are great but combine with a visual performance its a really relaxing watch!
Talking: 0:00 – 0:27 Tapping: 0:27 – 0:39 Mouth Sounds: 0:39 – 0:47 More Tapping: 0:47 – 1:00 Mouth sounds & Tapping: 1:00 – 1:06 Talking & Mouth sounds: 1:06 – 3:13 Tapping & Mouth sounds: 3:13 – 3:22 Tapping: 3:22 – 3: 34 Tapping & Mouth Sounds: 3:34 – Rest of video
Whispering
We know that whispering is all part and parcel of ASMR. So it’s only natural that whispering and tapping work really well together. Particularly for those looking to get to sleep or for relaxation.
Again, the combination of soft whispering and tapping on various surfaces offers numerous great opportunities for triggers and tingles.
I really like whispering and tapping on soft surfaces, like bubble wrap or felt so you get a double whammy of softness!
Example of whispering and tapping
Fast & Aggressive tapping
We really like fast and aggressive ASMR – it makes a change from regular paced ASMR content.
It is also really good for those, like me, who have a short attention span and I am told for those with ADHD.
And like a lot of the tapping videos this combines really well with the scratching action as well.
Example of fast and aggressive tapping ASMR
I won’t list out the time stamps on the video from Clareee ASMR as basically its a lot of the same style tapping on various surfaces – but fast and aggressive with, as she accurately calls it, spider hands!
Alternative surfaces for tapping
Tapping offers so many variants that can be used for ASMR purposes.
Here are a few for you to try out and see which ones give you tingles. There is always a new tingle to be had in ASMR!
Car tapping – mostly interior tapping but the odd wheel thrown in! Link
Phone – lots of tapping on the phone screen and on the phone case. Link
Long Nails – pretty much a pre requisite for tapping videos check out edafoxxx ASMR
Keyboard – this is a double whammy for me – love it! Link
Personal Attention – if you need that personal touch. Link
Wood – lots of great triggers from different types of wood. Link
Hey, before you go check out this handpicked content , just for you!
I hope you enjoyed learning about ASMR tapping and how it can help you chill out and maybe sleep.
So here is some info on ambient sounds that may help you relax a bit more. These are sounds that you can have on in the background and can really help reduce stress and anxiety. Give it a go!
