HDTutorial
EN

Playback starts YouTube’s embedded player (privacy-enhanced mode).

How to Make Basic Beatbox Sounds

6,126,986 views October 31, 2009 2:44

Watch on YouTube
ChannelHowcast

In brief

You’ll learn to create foundational beatbox sounds—kick drums, hi-hats, snare drums, and cymbals—using simple mouth and tongue techniques. This beginner-friendly guide breaks down each sound with tips for variation, then encourages combining them into rhythms inspired by hip-hop. Perfect for anyone curious about beatboxing basics.

Key steps

  1. Pronounce 'b' without your voice while expelling air for a kick drum sound
  2. Clench teeth and say 't' with short air bursts for a hi-hat
  3. Replace 'b' with 'p' to mimic a snare drum sound
  4. Say 'chish' (without vowels) for a crash cymbal effect
  5. Inhale quickly with tongue pressed to roof of mouth for a reverse cymbal
  6. Practice timing and breathing to blend sounds into rhythms
  7. Experiment with variations like 'bf', 'psh', or 'tssss' for texture
  8. Listen to hip-hop beats to refine your own style

Questions & answers

What’s the hardest sound to master first?

The creator suggests starting with the kick drum ('b' sound) and hi-hat ('t' sound) before moving to snare or cymbal variations.

Do I need special equipment?

No—only your mouth, teeth, and tongue are required.

Description from the creator

How to Make Basic Beatbox Sounds

Full Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLALQuK1NDrgs0c_KIlg…
-
-
Watch more Singing Tips videos: howcast.com/videos/186496-How-to-Make-Basic-Bea…



Step 1: Create a kick drum
Make the kick drum sound by expelling pressurized air through your mouth. At the same time, pronounce the letter b without using your voice box. The effect should be punchy while you mouth the "b" sound and expel air simultaneously. Use only the air in your mouth.

Tip
Vary the b sound by mouthing the letters "bf," "bs" and "bsh" intermittently; combine for an interesting rhythm.

Step 2: Create the hi-hat
Clench your teeth and expel short bursts of air while making the "t" sound. This is called hi-hat. Keep your tongue against the roof of your mouth and the back of your teeth, maintaining the pressure inside your mouth. Use your tongue to regulate air flow.

Tip
Experiment with variations like "ts," or by drawing the air for longer periods of time to create a "tssss" sound.

Step 3: Be a snare drum
Build on the kick drum sound to mimic a snare drum. Expel pressurized air using the same technique, only mouth the letter "p" instead of the kick drum’s "b."

Tip
Vary the snare drum with "ps," "psh," or "pf" sounds. Emphasize the variations by elongating the sounds: for example, "psssshh" or "pssssffff."

Step 4: Crash like a cymbal
Use the word ''chish'' to replicate the crash cymbal. Repeat through clenched teeth, without the vowel sound, for a duller crash. Keep your teeth clenched.

Step 5: Make a reverse cymbal sound
Keep your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth where your upper teeth meet your palate. Clench your teeth and inhale quickly to create a reverse cymbal. Close your mouth to stop the sound.

Step 6: Get hip-hop inspiration
Listen to old school hip-hop and try to replicate those beats.

Step 7: Develop your sound
Develop your own unique sounds by putting all the elements together. Timing and breathing techniques are the secret to impressive beat boxing. Have fun!

Did You Know?
Standard Beatbox Notation (SBN) is a special set of musical notations created specifically for writing beat box songs.







Related Searches :
How do you learn beatbox for beginners
How do you beatbox step by step
Can anyone do beatboxing
Is it possible to learn beatbox

About this tutorial

Howcast published this 2:44 video tutorial on October 31, 2009. It has been watched 6,126,986 times on YouTube.

Channel
Howcast
Duration
2:44
Published
October 31, 2009
Views
6,126,986
Likes
61,498

Tags

Share

This tutorial in other languages