How To Beatbox: The Basics

Step 1: The Kick drum

Form the sound as if you are making a "B" at the beginning of a word, such as "Bad". You want it to be as short and punchy as possible. Let the pressure build up using the muscles in and around the lips. Make the sound as bassy as possible. Some people like to use the centre of the mouth, others the side, it is purely a case of personal preference.

Step 2: The Hi-hat

The hi-hat is often used as a fill in sound between beats. Make a "T" sound and an "s" sound, and then but the two together for a "Tsss" sound. Perform this by putting the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth and push the sound on through the tongue. Keeping the "s" short as in a "Ts" gives you a closed hi hat, and elongating the "s" as in "Tsss" provides an open hi hat.

Step 3: The Classic Snare Drum

The snare drum starts with the letter "P", but this is too quite but itself and must be elongated. To achieve this, follow the "P" with a long "f". So spelt phoenetically it reads "Pfff". Try to keep it short, sharp, and not to breathy with a nice resonance. To form the sound you need to vibrate the top teeth on the bottom lip. As the "P" sound occurs, simply push through with an "f" sound, blending the two together.

Step 4: Putting it together

Once you have mastered each individual sound, you can put them together in a simple beat. Start by just using the kick drum and snare drum, practising so that the beat is steady. You can then start filling in between these beats with the Hi-hat. A simple eight beat is best to start with, and it is important to master this before you move on to more adventurous things.