Beatbox Like a Professional

MusicIntermediateHome

90 minutes

5 steps

·Intermediate

After 90 min: You can produce a complete beat using only your mouth including kick, snare, and hi-hats.

What you need

Microphone optionalQuiet room

The 90-Minute Plan

Master the kick drum sound0–15 min

Say 'boom'—the 'b' sound is your kick. Use your mouth cavity and chest resonance to deepen it. Practice 'boom-boom-boom-boom' in steady rhythm. This is your heartbeat.

Add snare with tongue15–38 min

Make a snare sound: 'psshhh' using air between your tongue and roof of mouth. Place this on beat 2 and 4 while doing kick on 1 and 3. Two sounds, four-beat pattern. Repeat 20 times.

Layer hi-hats with clicking38–62 min

Make a 'ts-ts-ts-ts' sound using your tongue and front teeth (hi-hats). Add this on all eighth notes while maintaining kick and snare. Three layers is complex—go slowly.

Add bass hits and variations62–78 min

Vary your kick pitch (higher for excitement). Add bass 'boomp' sounds. Vary snare tones. Make it groove, not mechanical. Record yourself and listen objectively.

Create and perform a full beat78–90 min

Construct a 16-bar beatbox pattern from scratch. Do kick, snare, hi-hats, and one variation. Perform it twice. By the second time, it should feel like second nature.

Pro Tip

Resonance comes from your chest and mouth cavity, not just your throat—practice in front of a mirror to see your mouth shape change.