The hollow snare

A second snare on the inhale

Tom first heard the hollow snare from the exceptional French beatboxer Eklips – and wanted to be able to do it immediately. It is brighter and sharper than the inward snare from the last lesson and gives your beat a colour you cannot get with one snare alone.

Unlike the inward snare it is produced outwards: you simply say „Ish“.

The sound

ll:  Ish - Ish He - Ish - Ish He  :ll               78 BPM

And now the interesting part: this snare can be varied in two ways. Through lip position and through pitch – produced higher or lower. Play around with it, you cannot get it wrong.

ll:  Ish - Ish - Ish - Ish He  :ll                 78 BPM

The ragga rhythm

ll:  Ish - Ish  Ish  Ish - Ish - He  :ll            75 → 78 BPM

At the end you add the word „Ragga“. The order matters: the snare comes on the out breath, immediately after which you breathe in and say „Ragga“.

ll:  Ish Ish  Ish Ish  IshHe Ragga  :ll             78 BPM

Two exercises for snare and breathing

The first groove trains snare and breathing at once. The second is a rhythm that works as an intro or transition for a wide range of beats – the hollow snare is particularly good for that.

ll:  Ish He  Ish He  Ish Ish  Ish  :ll             78 BPM
ll:  Ish  Ish Ish  Ish  Ish  He  :ll               78 BPM

The beat and the phaser transition

ll:  Bm - Ish B Ish He - Bm - Ish B Ish He  :ll     75 → 80 BPM

The transition is the nicest trick in this lesson: you suck air in while saying „Zuuuu“. It sounds like a phaser on a DJ mixer – building tension before the beat drops.

ll:  1 - 2 - Zu - uu  :ll                          80 BPM

The final routine

ll:  Ish Ish  Ish Ish  IshHe Ragga  :ll             3x
ll:  1 - 2 - Zu - uu  :ll                          1x
ll:  Bm - Ish B Ish He - Bm - Ish B Ish He  :ll    4x
                                       75 → 80 → 85 BPM

If you have too much air left, simply skip the in-breath a few times – whatever suits you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hollow snare?

A snare produced outwards by saying „Ish“. It sounds brighter and sharper than the inward snare and can be varied a lot through lip position and pitch.

What is the difference to the inward snare?

The inward snare is made on the in breath, the hollow snare on the out breath. Used side by side they give your beat two distinct colours – which is why it is worth learning both.

What is the best way to practise a new beatbox sound?

In short sessions spread across the day rather than one long one. Tom’s experience: sleep on it and the sound works noticeably better the next day.

What is a phaser transition in beatboxing?

You suck air in while saying „Zuuuu“. That creates a rising pull like a phaser on a DJ mixer and builds tension before the next beat comes in.