Part 2 : The Old Skool

Introduction

Despite the fact that Beatboxing is an important element of Hip-hop and A Capella, some people still aren't clued up as to what beatboxing is all about!

Beatboxing is The Art of Urban Vocal Percussion. i.e. - imitating drum sounds and beat patterns using your lips, tongue, mouth, throat, and voice. It's summed up with the image of a guy in a hoodie with his hands cupped over his mouth spitting and making wonderful noises.

• Vocal Percussion means making percussion sounds (including drum sounds) with the mouth. Traditionally vocal percussionists in a cappella groups have tried to emulate real drum sounds.
• Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion in which the artist emulates the sounds of a 'beat box' or drum machine. Today, as the artform is expanding, vocal percussionists use beatboxing techniques and beatboxers use vocal percussion techniques - the difference remains in the style. Beatboxers generally produce more urban styles of music and therefore beatboxing could be called urban vocal percussion.
• Multivocalism is a term used for artists who use beatboxing, vocal scratching, singing, MCing and poetry in their performances.

Where did the term beatbox come from?

Human Beatbox literally means human drum machine and beatbox was originally used as two words 'beat box'.

The term 'beat box' was used as slang for the non-programmable drum machines that were first called rhythm machines. For example, the Roland TR Rhythm Series such as the TR-33, TR-55 that were produced in 1972. Later it was used to refer to a particular line of drum machines - particularly the Roland CR and the later TR series with the Roland CR-78 appearing in 1978.

However, the first rhythm machine was the Wurlitzer Sideman that was made between 1959 and 1964, and this did come in a large box - so it's possible that the term "beat box" was used to refer to this machine.

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Used with kind permission The Keyboard Museum

The first time beat box was used to refer directly to a rhythm machine was in the 1970s with the ELI CompuRhythm CR-7030 Beat Box.

View larger image
Used with kind permission The Keyboard Museum

And here is the staple of hip-hop music, the coveted Roland TR-808 drum machine released in 1982.