The inward drag is a sound created by emphasizing an inward breath. The inward drag is often coupled with an outward drag, an emphasis on an outward breath. The inward drag technique is the rapid combination of both these inward and outward sounds.
This technique is very useful when thinking about circular breathing and breath control, which is the skill of maintaining a continuous stream of air while beatboxing. The inward drag augments an ordinary inward breath with a unique sound that adds breadth to your routine.
Standard Beatbox Notation (SBN)
{ ^h h }
- Breathe in - { ^h }
- Breathe out - { h }
How it's done
The most important aspect of the inward drag is accentuating the sound made by breathing, which can be done by focusing the air flow through your teeth, cheeks, and/or lips. For beginners, this will sound like typical breaths and may take some time to get used to.
A simple pattern is done by repeating a kick, inward drag, and outward drag - repeated over and over in this pattern.
B ^h h | B ^h h | B ^h h | B ^h h
Then you can work on adding snares and hi hats.
B ^h h | t ^h h | Pf ^h h | B^h h
Upon practicing and brushing up your breath control, try experimenting with different mouth positions. Opening up the back of your throat will emulate a more hoarse and focused sound.
Video Tutorials:
Other helpful tutorials:
Trung Bao VBeatbox Tutorial | Vietnamese with English Subtitles
Similar sounds to learn:
Whistle scratch
Inward bass
