Beatbox and vocals

Speaking and beatboxing at the same time

This technique impresses outsiders more than almost anything else – and you can practise it in passing, in every sentence you say. You already know the principle: many beatbox sounds come from emphasising certain letters hard.

In this lesson you build a beat from it and also upgrade your „Billie Jean“ cover from lesson 1 – with the distinctive high synth sound.

The trick: the words „beat“ and „box“

Both start with B. Emphasise that B so hard it turns into a kick drum:

ll:  Beat - - - Beat - - -  :ll                    74 BPM
ll:  Box - - - Box - - -  :ll                      74 BPM

That way you can add a kick drum to any word. Now emphasise the remaining syllables too:

ll:  Bea T Bo X Bea T Bo X  :ll                    74 BPM

The finished vocal beat

„Bsch“ and „Ts“ go between the two words to round the beat out. A simple base beat serves as the intro.

ll:  B - Ts - Bsch - Ts - B - Ts - Bsch - Ts Hi  :ll      4x
ll:  Bea - T - Bsch - Ts - Bo - X - Bsch - Ts Hi  :ll    4x
                                        74 → 82 → 86 BPM

The tongue twister to practise with

From the video – a sentence non-beatboxers enjoy attempting too, improving their diction along the way:

ll:  Bi tte Bär blei be blau bis der Ben ni Bän ke bau t Hi  :ll   56 BPM

Billie Jean, part 2: the synth sound

So far you only had the bass line. Now the high, distinctive melody joins it. Practise it alone first, then swap the two „Da“ for „Bmm“ and „Tsn“.

ll:  Da - Dum - Dum - Da - Dum - Dum - Dum - Hi  :ll        80 BPM
ll:  Bmm - Dum - Dum - Tsn - Dum - Dum - Dum - Hi  :ll      80 BPM

Then build it into the beat and pull it up slowly – from 56 through 62 and 72 to 82 BPM:

ll:  Bmm - Tsn - Bschn - Tsn - Bmm - Tsn - Bschn - Hi  :ll   56 → 82 BPM

Everything together

Like building blocks: intro, then the vocal beat, and the upgraded Billie Jean beat to close. From 82 through 86 to 90 BPM.

Frequently asked questions

Can you beatbox and sing at the same time?

Not literally at the same time – the trick is to emphasise sounds in the words you speak or sing so hard that they become beatbox sounds. An emphasised B becomes a kick drum, an X becomes a hi-hat.

How do I start with beatbox and vocals?

With two words that begin with B – in this course „beat“ and „box“. Emphasise the B hard enough to produce a kick drum and build from there.

Can I practise this in everyday life?

That is exactly what this technique is for. You can put kick drums into any sentence you speak. The tongue twister from the video is a good way in.

How do I complete the Billie Jean beat?

You know the bass line and the beat from lesson 1. Here the high synth melody joins them: Bmm - Dum - Dum - Tsn - Dum - Dum - Dum. Practise it alone, then lay it into the beat and raise the tempo step by step.