Tamping device comprising: - a drive motor; - an upper mass receiving the drive motor; - a lower mass movably coupled to the upper mass via a spring device and having a ground contacting element for ground compaction; - a movement transmission device for transmitting a drive movement from the drive motor and for generating a periodic movement of the ground contacting element; - a detection device (11, 12) for detecting a measurement parameter for the dynamic behaviour of at least one component of the tamping device; characterised in that the tamping device comprises - an evaluation device for evaluating the dynamic behaviour and for identifying aperiodic behaviour; and - a display device for displaying that aperiodic behaviour is identified by the evaluation device, wherein - rules are stored in the evaluation device for defining handling recommendations for a user, such as changing the rotational speed of the drive motor in order to reduce the aperiodic behaviour; - a handling recommendation is selected by the evaluation device as a function of the identified aperiodic behaviour; - the selected handling recommendation is displayed by the display device; and wherein - the measurement parameter is selected from the group consisting of + rotational speed of the drive motor; + load surges on a motor shaft of the drive motor; + rotational speed of the movement transmission device; + relative movement between the upper mass and the lower mass; + acceleration of the upper mass; + acceleration of a guide handle which is mounted on the upper mass; + rotational angle between the guide handle and the upper mass. - a drive motor; - an upper mass receiving the drive motor; - a lower mass movably coupled to the upper mass via a spring device and having a ground contacting element for ground compaction; - a movement transmission device for transmitting a drive movement from the drive motor and for generating a periodic movement of the ground contacting element; - a detection device (11, 12) for detecting a measurement parameter for the dynamic behaviour of at least one component of the tamping device; characterised in that the tamping device comprises - an evaluation device for evaluating the dynamic behaviour and for identifying aperiodic behaviour; and - a display device for displaying that aperiodic behaviour is identified by the evaluation device, wherein - rules are stored in the evaluation device for defining handling recommendations for a user, such as changing the rotational speed of the drive motor in order to reduce the aperiodic behaviour; - a handling recommendation is selected by the evaluation device as a function of the identified aperiodic behaviour; - the selected handling recommendation is displayed by the display device; and wherein - the measurement parameter is selected from the group consisting of + rotational speed of the drive motor; + load surges on a motor shaft of the drive motor; + rotational speed of the movement transmission device; + relative movement between the upper mass and the lower mass; + acceleration of the upper mass; + acceleration of a guide handle which is mounted on the upper mass; + rotational angle between the guide handle and the upper mass. + rotational speed of the drive motor; + load surges on a motor shaft of the drive motor; + rotational speed of the movement transmission device; + relative movement between the upper mass and the lower mass; + acceleration of the upper mass; + acceleration of a guide handle which is mounted on the upper mass; + rotational angle between the guide handle and the upper mass.