4. Performance: Elements to Consider when using Beatboxing with a Group

            In the performance of beatboxing or vocal percussion in choral music, participants identified voicing, balance, consonants, rhythm and breathing, beatboxing warm-ups, and the use of microphones, as important elements to be considered in vocal production in an ensemble. 

4.1 Voicing

            In the establishment of a vocal ensemble, there are many choices that can be considered, such as: number of voices, the type of voice (male, female, mixed), and accompanied or a cappella.  In this study, the vocal ensembles ranged from 2 to 10 group members.  The type of voicing consisted of female only, male only, and mixed.  All groups sang a cappella, except one group that also performed selections with the accompaniment of a guitar.  Three ensembles had a human beatboxer, and all five vocal groups sang repertoire that required members to use vocal percussion.

            The loss of a voice was brought up as a concern when using of vocal percussion or beatboxing.  Two vocal ensembles highlighted that vocal percussion is not a tone and resulted in a thinner layer of sound from the loss of a pitched voice.   Contrary to this statement, the member of this vocal ensemble stated:

            I was sitting there with nothing to do.  I had just begun beatboxing, so I started beatboxing along and singing the song, singing the

            parts I would usually sing but putting in a beat everywhere else (Beatboxer 2).

            Vocal ensembles also noted that the use of beatboxing or vocal percussion was physically demanding on the voice, requiring a tremendous amount of endurance.  One member of a vocal ensemble stated:

            Using vocal percussion is very strenuous, especially in one of pieces that we are doing which is approximately five minutes

            long (Vocal Ensemble 5).

            The choice of using a human beatboxer or selections requiring vocal percussion is a question that a vocal ensemble.  The voicing of the group may require an additional member designated as the beatboxer, a member within the group that can beatbox for a selection, or the group may consider to rearrange the piece to have percussive elements performed by the whole ensemble.  This composer commented:  

            As we have learned here.  You can be part of a vocal group as a singer/beatboxer, you can be part of a group as a single beatboxer,

            or you can do the percussions with your mouth as a group of singers.  So you never know where it will go?  Everybody has a little bit

            of a different style of doing things (Composer 5).

 

4.2 Balance

            Balance was identified as an important aspect in the vocal ensemble.  The texture of lead melody, background vocals, and percussive elements need to blend into one sound.  Members of the ensemble need to be aware and listen for the balance of percussive sounds versus the vocals (Vocal Ensemble 5).  When percussive elements are used, the primary focus is to move the music forward while maintaining a balance sound (Vocal Ensemble 3).   This composer noted:

             In a cappella singing, everything is about balance.  Vocal percussion can sort of stick out of the balance.  The purpose is to move

             the piece forward.  It is mainly about consonants, that are sort of percussive and they all have different energies (Composer 4).

 

4.3 Consonants

            In vocal percussion and beatboxing, the use of consonants is primarily used to create sounds that emulate the guitar, piano, and drums.  The emulation of instruments in a cappella collegiate music is rooted in the traditions of the doo-wop style, however the reproduction of sound with the voice has been around for a long time.  This composer commented:

            Doo-wop has been around for a long while and we have always been making these sounds with our voices, as well the roots of making

            sounds has been around for over 40,000 years (Composer 2).

            In the emulation of instruments with the voice, participants identified that sound production requires pressure to emphasize the sound.  This technique becomes increasingly challenging in larger ensembles.  According to one composer, choirs would need to be taught the correct pronunciation to produce the consonants clearly.  Participants also stressed the need to develop a crisp, clear sound that has a similar timbre in the ensemble, as well as the instrument that is being imitated.  This beatboxer noted the importance of evolved sounds to keep time: 

            It is the question of, are the sounds well evolved to go with more difficult tasks.  If your sounds are sloppy and not well built up, if it is

            not tight, you will always lose time in your rhythm and then you are not able to go on to learn more difficult things because you will

            never be able to do a beat if you can’t make short sounds and can’t be sure of your sounds (Beatboxer 3).

One participant commented on the technique they use to emphasize sounds:

            I find you use a lot pressure to emphasis the sounds.  You need to keep the sound in front and find the right place to breathe.  There is

            also the challenge of not using the vowel sounds (Vocal Ensemble 5).

            In the writing of a piece of music, composers have a variety of sounds to choose from when creating the texture or sound that they wish to convey.  Several composers noted that they use the consonants b, d, t, and k for the purposes of rhythmic interest.  Similarly, vocal ensembles noted that many pieces included songs with b and d consonant sounds.  This ensemble added:

            We use a fair number of b, d, dim, ding as well as sounds like wah, ts and ka in our pieces (Vocal Ensemble 4).

            The use of the consonants b, d, t, and k are often used as sounds to emulate the sound of a drum kit.  In the absence of a human beatboxer in the ensemble, many participants noted that they performed these consonants in background or accompaniment sections of the piece, thus emulating the rhythmic texture and characteristics of a drum kit.

 

4.4 Rhythm and Breathing

            In the performance of any selection, rhythm and breathing are important characteristics in music making.  Breaks in the music are just important as the melodic and rhythmic elements.  One composer noted that, “conductors dictate the tempo.  In vocal groups, they dictate the tempos together.  They internalize the rhythms” (Composer 1).  Similarly, another composer stated, “in a choir, you would really need to educate them to have the same concept of the rhythm” (Composer 5).

            In addition to the rhythmic features in a piece, breathing or breath control was identified as an important element in the production of vocal percussion and beatboxing.  These individuals cited:       

            I think the main thing is breath control, confidence, precision, and preparation (Beatboxer 6).

            Beatboxing teaches breath control in an amazing way.  Aside from the fact that you have to stoke up the air to carry through with the

            phrase but also beatboxers also use the inhalation as well as the exhalation (Composer 6).

            Beatboxing can be physically taxing because your breath control is so rigid and meticulous.  Breathing is a challenge and if you have

            any nerves and you’re on stage or anything that just adds to it (Vocal Ensemble 1). 

            The idea of creating sound as an illusion was also noted by two participants.  Illusion takes the role of creating sound during the spaces and removing it during more textural elements in the piece.  These statements speak to this realization:

             Bobby McFerrin would lay down a beat and he would trust the audience then to assimilate that into their minds and to play that

             themselves really, so that you layer certain things in real but you don’t use a loop station, so you kind-a, I think use the audience

             like a loop station, and that is at the heart of what we do (Beatboxer 2).  

             It is nice to know that when we listen to music that we pay attention to the important things of the music.  While he was harmonizing

             and then in the breathing place he would fill it up with beatboxing, I started to wonder, that is how we listen to music.  Our ears pick

             up the most important things that are essential (Composer 5).

 

4.5 Beatboxing Warm-ups

            Beatbox participants noted that the best place to rehearse beatboxing was in the bathroom, specifically the shower.  The beatboxers noted that bathroom provided two essential features that helped the production of beatboxing: moisture for the voice, and acoustics.

            In the preparation of beatboxing, several beatboxers noted that they use techniques as warm-ups before a rehearsal.  These comments made by beatboxers highlighted the importance of preparing the lip muscles:  

            Articulation techniques and warm-ups are essential for getting ready to beatbox.  What I do is push my tongue against the outer lips

            to flex the muscles.  Then I do a number of silly rhymes really quickly to practice my control (Beatboxer 3).

            I use lip raspberries to warm up my lips so that I can push and stretch and loosen up the lips.  I also use bi-phonic and breathing

            exercise.  Bi-phonics have been good for clearing the throat requiring so much air (Beatboxer 4).

An interesting perspective regarding the issue of warm-ups as stated by this beatboxer:

            I don’t think the beatbox community is as concerned as the vocal community in terms of warming up because the way beatboxing

            came around is like on the streets of hip-hop.  I am sure that the higher vocal pedagogues would have a lot to say about the

            dangers of beatboxing in general (Beatboxer 5).

            When rehearsing beatboxing, beatboxers believed that the bathroom and preparation of the lip muscles were important factors for performance.  The bathroom provides an acoustic environment that allows the beatboxer to hear the sounds they are creating, and proper care of the lip muscles provides endurance to perform passages for long periods of time.

 

4.6 The use of Microphones

            In small vocal ensembles, groups may elect to use microphones for the purposes of amplifying the sound.  When considering the use of beatboxing, the microphone and sound system greatly enhance the production of sounds created by the beatboxer.   As this composer noted, “Beatboxing will depend on if you are mic’d or not mic’d” (Composer 1).  Vocal ensembles that did not have a beatboxer noted that they did not use a microphone in their performances.  However, these vocal ensembles commented:

            We don’t use mics and we need sounds that carry (Vocal Ensemble 4).

            We don’t use microphones so we need to keep the sound sharp (Vocal Ensemble 5).

            In ensembles where a microphone was used, participants noted different techniques when holding the microphone.  In most cases, vocalists held the microphone a few inches away from the mouth, changing the distance to achieve a blended sound.  Vocalists emulating the bass or drum kit either held the microphone near the nose or had the microphone placed on a microphone stand.  The following statements make reference to the techniques used in holding a microphone:

             I use the mic near my nose to capture the nasal sounds and bass notes.  The sound engineer changes the frequencies to produce

             the good bass, snare, and cymbal sounds (Beatboxer 3).

             My voice is gone right now.  The good thing is that the mic allows me sing without placing too much demand on my voice.  I place the

             mic near my nose and I can hum the notes, and the mic can pick up the tones quite easily (Vocal Ensemble 3). 

             I find that the holding of a microphone in the hand is more limiting than helping (Beatboxer 2).

            When a beatboxer is practicing or trying to figure out a new beat or pattern, it is essential that the beatboxer know the environment in which they are performing.  Will the performance make use of a microphone?  Similar to other forms of rehearsing, there are periods of trial and error, therefore any variables that may change the performance need to be also considered.  This beatboxer shared an experience during a beatboxing competition:

            This beat I was learning for a competition was really cool.  Trying to throw in words amongst the beats.  So I just started learning that,

            and tried to do that, and I didn’t to that in a microphone before, and it doesn’t work.  It’s experimentation.  I am listening to the sounds

            that I make and should have tried out the beats with the mic before hand (Beatboxer 6)