Here are four quick steps that will help you take your beatboxing more seriously.

For the longest time, I didn’t want to call myself a beatboxer. There were so many talented beatboxers out there who were better than me and as I started We Talk Beatbox and now Human Beatbox, I thought I could just get away by saying I didn’t really beatbox. The added pressure of possibly disappointing people was something I didn’t want to face. (I mean, Tyte did leave me with huge shoes to fill).

I quickly realized this was a terrible mindset to have.

Whether or not your situation is the same as mine, having beatbox confidence is incredibly important in your journey of leveling up. In this article, I’m going to cover a few things that I’ve discovered along the way that has helped me immensely. Let’s get right into it.

Human Beatbox Family

Embrace looking and sounding silly

The quicker you get over the fact that you’re going to look and sound stupid and perhaps accidentally spit on a few faces, the quicker you will begin to learn. There are so many sounds and techniques that require you to contort your face in crazy ways that overcoming the fear of looking silly will help you achieve the sound you want.

And also remember, beatboxing takes lots of practice from both your brain and your muscles. There will be times you get a sound in one try, but more often than not, you will need to start off by making a sound that is far from what you want. Remember, a farting sound can eventually develop into a powerful liproll.

Hang out with more beatboxers

Surrounding yourself with other beatboxers is an incredible resource. Hanging around others who you can jam with and teach you will level you up immensely. Remember, it’s about music, jamming, and having a good time. Don't be afraid to ask for feedback and be sure to encourage your friends to become better beatboxers too!

When I was over at the Midwest battles, I was fairly shy to beatbox. After a few people gave me constructive pointers and asked me to cypher with them, I quickly hopped on the opportunity and I began beatboxing more confidently almost instantly. Although this wasn't my first event, I am always blown away by how encouraging and generous the beatbox family is.

This brings me to my next point…

Learn. Don’t compare.

With so much of beatbox revolving around battling nowadays, many beatboxers feel like they are inferior or superior to other beatboxers. Beatbox is more than being a community. It’s about being a family.

At the end of the day, beatboxing brings us together.

We’ve come so far as a family because of our sharing culture. Again, in my experience, what drew me so close to the beatbox community was the generosity and the willingness to teach each other new techniques and sounds.

It’s important to remember that it’s not always a comparison, so don’t be discouraged if someone is “better” than you and don’t talk down to someone who might still be learning.

By coming in with the mindset of wanting to learn and enjoying the music, there will be less pressure on you and you will then understand what it means to be part of the beatbox family. No beatboxer has a ceiling of ability – everyone has room to level up.

Practice

The last and most obvious thing that will help you build your beatbox confidence is to practice. Whether you’re walking to school or you’re on the toilet, practice and continue to make your sounds more crisp and powerful. The more you practice, the more confident you will become on stage or in front of your friends - because you know what you’ve prepared yourself for. Train your muscles and your beatbox brain so that when it comes to show time, your body knows what to do naturally.

Level Up

So there you have it. If this was helpful to you, please let us know in the comments below! If you have any comments, suggestions, or concerns, email me at [email protected] or tweet at me at @_JonPark and I’ll get to you as soon as I can. Until next time!