Have you ever wondered what the difference is between singing and beatboxing? There are many and it might surprise you how different they are from each other.
Singing and beatboxing are different as both use different ways to produce different types of sound. The technique required in either of the methods is so vastly different that can’t be compared but only seen in contrast to each other.
We must first begin to understand what makes singing, singing, and beatboxing, beatboxing. Without clear definitions, we are just flying in the dark and expecting it to work.
How Singing Works
Singing incorporates two things to work. Notes and rhythm. You sing notes. When you sing particular notes in a particular pattern in time, that’s your rhythm.
So you begin to sing.
For centuries that’s how we’ve entertained ourselves with music. The height of singing has seen things we wish were recorded. Choirs that were 400 strong, in a building that was so perfectly treated for acoustics that it made choirs sound like angels were singing.
Fast forward to now and now we have home recording setups and with modern technology people who once had to travel far or were chosen to be trained as children to become professional ‘courtroom’ musician is now gone.
We have every knowledge possible for us to learn what we have to without leaving the comfort of our own homes. Isn’t that amazing?
How Beatboxing Works
Beatboxing, however, doesn’t necessarily have notes. It definitely has rhythm. So, how does it work if it doesn’t have notes?
What you hear a beatboxer do is imitate percussive sounds that are being, well technically sung, in time. But this imitation based on how much one has practiced is an imitation not of notes but of timbre.
So beatboxers are essentially using timbre to sound nothing like a singer would. That’s where the distinction lies. Rhythm and timbre for beatboxers while singers use rhythm and notes.
It’s not a small distinction either. It’s a big one.
I think It’s Hard to Master
I randomly imitate drums at best but that’s just me.
I find it quite amazing how people who have been doing this way longer than I can not only imitate what a percussive sound is but add singing to it.
If you came here for me to teach you how to beatbox, then I am sorry that neither am I a supporter nor can I guide you in this endeavor.
But, if this is something that you wish to pursue then please do. I really like anything that is executed with skill. Even outside of music. So when I hear an acapella cover of anything. It’s incomplete without a beatboxer imitating the sounds and timbre of a percussion instrument.
Why Beatboxing is Attractive
It’s because of the timbre explosion we’ve had.
A little side lesson. Over the past century, we’ve found so many ways to make sounds. There are hacksaw blades that are sold as an instrument and can be played. It sounds exactly how a hacksaw would. It sounds like it wants to cut something and if you’re not careful even cut you.
The idea is that new sounds fascinate us. Beatboxing isn’t that old and is a relatively new skill and people who decide to learn it has a relatively hard time learning it. Or so I imagine.
It’s because of its rarity and its difficulty people find it attractive. Outside the necessity, it serves in an acapella group, beatboxing sounds really amazing and hard to master.
Professionally Speaking
Other than the way that beatboxers sound, there is no or very little advantage to learning how to beatbox. I mean, in the majority of things I wouldn’t need a beatboxer myself. It’s a great skill but unfortunately, beyond performing in an acapella group, it’s kind of wasted.
The other benefits of learning how to sing also don’t scale with beatboxing. For example, learning to play an instrument while singing is not the same thing as beatboxing with playing the guitar. It’s possible and you can make it sound cool.
But the fact remains that its novelty will run out very fast. You’d have to develop your own composition to stay competitive and even then you’d have to keep on posting something or the other to stay updated.
You Could
You could do it and make it sound cool and find a way to keep yourself updated but it’s not something I would be listening to. The idea of being to do is not to cater every song to a new audience but you have the existing audience come back for more. Hence the subscriber method on YouTube and follow button on Instagram.
It’d be closer to reinventing the wheel and I suggest unless you have a reason to pursue beatboxing, that you don’t. Professionally. If you want to learn something like this for your own sake and have fun with it, then go ahead and do it.
How it Can Help
This is just speculation but I don’t want to be dismissive of it completely and this isn’t going to be very logical, because we need to talk about art and how it makes sense and why it’s satisfying.
You see, if it makes you happy then you should do it. That’s it. No more reasoning and there shouldn’t be one sometimes. I loved playing the six-string bass and was ridiculed for it in a music college. I still have it today and I still love playing it.
Do what you think is right and have fun.
But, If You Want to Learn How to Sing
If you however want to learn how to sing I can guide you towards courses that are online and here is why I am such a big advocate of these courses.
Here is a page that I’ve dedicated for you about all the courses that I believe you can learn from. Pick the one that suits your budget and needs.
All the best in whatever you end up learning! I know you’ll be successful!