Transcript

I’m Bigg Taj and I’m a beat-boxer.

Beat-boxing is basically about making drum beats with your mouth. It's also about imitating turntable sounds, scratching like a DJ would.

I always made sounds when I was younger. When I was 16 I heard Rahzel and Scratch and from then on, I’ve been practising.

I enjoy beat-boxing because I like to perform live, put on a good show, and inspire people.

Beat-boxing Demos

I'm going to show you basic drum sounds and a basic beat-box rhythm. First you start off with three simple sounds, it’s almost like saying 'P', 'T', 'K'. Your bass drum is your 'P'. Try not to put any vocals in it. Your hi-hat is like saying a 'T' and your snare is a 'K' sound, just at the back of your mouth. Then you put it all together.

Now I’m going to show you a different snare. It’s like saying a 'pff' sound. You keep your lips tight and push the air through so you get a sound. Then put that in a basic drum beat.

The next sound I’m going to show you is a sound effect, 'clicks'. You keep your tongue up against the roof of your mouth, and you kind of suck your tongue back and suck in here [indicates his cheeks]. You should feel bubbles in your mouth.

Now I’m going to show you a scratch sound. It’s from the back of your mouth. You keep your tongue up against the roof of your mouth, and put pressure between the roof of your mouth and your tongue, so you get a scratch sound. If you open and close your mouth, it will change the pitch. So I put that all in a beat.

Beat-boxing tips

Be original and create your own routines.

Practice wherever you can and whenever you can.

Most importantly, have fun.