How To: Hum While Beatboxing

Humming while beatboxing is one of the most important techniques to pick up if you're planning to cover popular songs. It's also a key element for singing and beatboxing, but that's for another tutorial. Here, I'll teach you how to hum while beatboxing by explaining exactly how it works.

Step 1 A practical experiment

Puff out your cheeks. Yes, you might look silly, but do it anyway. Note how you have a mouthful of air but can still breathe through your nose. You'll also be able to hum. Now, while letting out a long outward hum, use your hands to push your cheeks in. You'll squeeze air out through your lips causing a sound. This is the foundation on which you can hum while beatboxing.

Step 2 Recognize the fact that there are different ways to hum

There are two main ways you can hum; you can hum through your mouth (say "ahhhh") or you can hum through your nose (say "mmmm"). To hum while beatboxing you'll almost always be humming through your nose.

Step 3 Making the sounds while humming

Many sounds can be done using only the air in your mouth (think back to the experiment earlier). To do them you need to use your tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw to manipulate the air through your lips to create the sounds you're aiming for. For example, a kick drum can be formed by forming a pocket of air at the front of your mouth and pushing it through your lips with your tongue. Experiment - you'd be amazed how many sounds you can make in this way.

Described as "[one] of the finest exponents of the hip-hop discipline" by YouTube's music blog, Fat Tony's tutorial series is THE definitive guide to learning how to beatbox.  As featured on Humanbeatbox.com and BeatboxAustralia.net.