Masterclass 1

No new sound – but your first real performance

The masterclass is the session where nothing new is added. Instead you take the beats you already know and make them good: cleaner emphasis, more power, and above all exactly in time.

For that you work with a metronome for the first time. At the end you have two complete routines – and with the halftime technique a transition that sounds like skill but is really just arithmetic.

Routine 1: three beats at 94 BPM

All three beats sit at the same tempo, which is why they connect seamlessly. Practise each on its own with the metronome and step up gradually: 78 → 86 → 94 BPM.

ll:  Buga - diga - Buga - daga - Buga - diga - Buga - da - Hi  :ll   4x
ll:  B - B B - K - Ts - B - K - Hi  :ll                             3x
ll:  B - B B - K - Hi - Turn it up!  :ll
ll:  Böh - Hii - Bah - Hii  :ll                                     4x
ll:  Bm - Tsn - Bschn - Tsn - Bm - Tsn - Bsch - Hi  :ll             4x
                                                          94 BPM

Halftime: same beat, half the metronome

The second part is the more interesting one. The beat from lesson 3 („Hit the Road Jack“) can be played at 128 BPM – exactly double 64. That makes it the perfect example of halftime.

You play the same beat once at 128 BPM and then again while the metronome only ticks 64. The beat stays identical, the sense of time flips. That is the whole technique: you imagine the metronome ticking twice as fast.

ll:  Bmh - Lugh - Bmh - Lugh - Bmh - Lugh - Bmmhhhh - Nlugh - Bmh Bmh  :ll
                                                   128 BPM, then 64 BPM

Routine 2: from the breathing beat into halftime

ll:  Brrrü - Bsch - Hi - Ha Ha - Bsch - Hi  :ll                     4x
ll:  Bmh - Lugh - Bmh - Lugh - Bmh - Lugh - Bmmhhhh - Nlugh - Bmh Bmh  :ll   8x
                                                              64 BPM

A tip from the video: during the transition it helps enormously to move physically – tap your hands in time. The switch then happens in the body, not just in your head.

Frequently asked questions

What is a masterclass in a beatbox course?

A repetition session with no new sounds. You consolidate beats you already know with a metronome, improve emphasis and timing, and connect them into complete routines.

What does halftime mean in beatboxing?

You play the same beat while the metronome ticks at half the speed. The beat sounds twice as fast and driven without you actually speeding up. Ideal for seamless transitions between beats.

Do I need a metronome for beatboxing?

Not for your first beats, but yes for clean routines. A metronome shows mercilessly whether you are speeding up without noticing. A free metronome app on your phone is entirely enough.

How do I get more precise at beatboxing?

Through repetition with a metronome at rising tempos – here 78, 86, 94 BPM – and by consciously focusing on clean, powerful emphasis of every single sound instead of on speed.