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‘Beatbox’ is what you do when you produce vocal
sound effects without using instruments. Many of
us would have had the tendency to make or
imitate sounds that resembled drumbeats or other
musical instruments with our mouths when we were
kids. Imagine finding out that what we were
actually doing was ‘beatboxing’! This is an art
whose basics must be learned properly and you
need a lot of practice before you can perfect
it. So lets take a look at some useful tips here
that can help you get on with this fun hobby.
The next thing you know, you will be performing
on stage to huge crowds, just like human Beatbox
legends Rahzel, Buffy, Doug E Fresh, Biz Markie,
etc. who catapulted beatboxing to fame during
the 1980s.
As you train to beatbox - your vocal skills
will develop. Beatboxing is also referred to as
multi-vocalism and vocal percussion. So, the
range of vocal skills in beatboxing will cover
imitating sounds, singing and - everything
vocal. Now human beatboxing is usually related
to the urban and hip-hop genres of music, while
vocal percussion relates to a-cappella and
rockapella music groups.
Basic Sounds In
Beatboxing
When you learn beatboxing, you’ll learn about
the three basic sounds that form the foundation
of beatboxing grooves and these get their names
from the components of a drum kit. These are:
-
Kick drum
-
Snare drum
-
Hi-hat
All three sounds are made in such a way as to
give the listener the illusion that they are
being made simultaneously, when the beatboxer is
actually doing one at a time rapidly. Artists
like Rahzel sing and beatbox at the same time –
and this is really an auditory illusion, which
is achieved by making continuous sounds. The
ideal way to begin this illusion is to begin
with the singing and then with the effects!
In beatboxing, though you don’t need to hold a
microphone, there are different techniques for
doing so to enable you make different kinds of
sounds – for example – the closed clasp for
nasal bass sounds, open clasp for less nasal
sounds, etc. Sometimes even two mics are used.
Many artists develop their own special style
with a mic and so will you as you practice and
enjoy the groove.
Breath Control
Technique
Have you wondered how beatboxers keep at it for
hours together without actually seeming to pause
for breath? Well, it comes through breath
control. What they do is breathe and make their
sound simultaneously. These are called inward
sounds and you will learn that practically every
outward sound can be made inward. One of the
three basic sounds, the snare drum is performed
with an inward sound. Snare sounds comprise of
four different types made with the lips, vocal
chords and tongue. A fifth breathing-in snare is
a combination of two techniques. The five sounds
help the beatboxers to produce that continuous
sound that you hear. Just imagine – even though
everyone uses similar methods, each person
sounds so very different and unique!
Once you learn the basic sounds, you put them into a beat.
Your tutorials will teach you simple beat
patterns that you can practice on and develop
your own original stuff and work around songs.
You can go ahead and pick any genre that is your
favorite – whether it is hip-hop, rock, dance,
grunge, etc.
How To Go About Learning Beatboxing?
As you pick up the basic techniques you will be able to
practice these key sounds. Don’t worry about
stumbling initially – just have fun as you
imagine entertaining a big crowd. Try and listen
to as many beatboxing artists as you can – there
are plenty of audio clips and records available.
This will inspire you – as you enjoy listening
to them – and motivate you to try out all the
sounds you hear. You will also be able to
discern between different styles and techniques.
Apart from all this it can be a great
mood-booster to get you in the ‘groove’ and
beatbox along with the great artists.
Another way to get yourself into the right frame of mind is
to try and watch live performances – a good
performance can really draw you into the art. If
you have friends who can go with you - all the
better, since you might have company to learn.
You can freely copy an artist – think 'If Your
Mother Only Knew' by Rahzel
-
and then do it in your own style. It will also
help you build confidence to try new things and
develop your beatboxing skills.
Beatboxing takes initiative and innovation. It
involves lots of creativity and allows you to
experiment and explore. What we have given you
here is information to get you started. You can
learn your beatboxing skills and watch some
great videos that will show you exactly how it
is done below.
Don’t forget to check out the wonderful
books listed to help you know everything about
beatboxing. Knowledge is power, so go ahead,
beatboxer, and enjoy!
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