Beatboxing has no fixed alphabet – different scenes name sounds differently. What follows is the set we teach in our workshops, ordered by how early you can realistically learn it. Start with the first four. Everything else is decoration until those four are clean.

Sound	Written as	How it works	Level
Kick drum	B	A compressed „B“ released from tensed, slightly pursed lips. The deepest sound in the kit and the one that carries the beat.	Beginner
Closed hi-hat	Ts	Tongue tip behind the upper front teeth, short and sharp. Cut it as short as you can.	Beginner
Open hi-hat	Tsss	The same movement as the closed hi-hat, but you let the air keep flowing.	Beginner
K snare	K	A hard, dry „K“ with the vowel removed. Works while breathing out and while holding your breath.	Beginner
Pf snare	Pf	Softer and airier than the K snare. Good in quiet contexts and in vocal percussion.	Beginner
Rimshot	Ka / Tk	A short, high crack used as an accent rather than a main snare.	Beginner
Tongue click	Tok	A hollow click made by pulling the tongue off the palate. Your first sound that is not a drum imitation.	Easy
Inward K snare	K (inhaled)	A K snare produced while breathing in. Solves the air problem completely once it works.	Advanced
Inward bass	–	A low, inhaled bass sound. Needs relaxed throat muscles and patience.	Advanced
Throat bass	–	A sustained bass note produced in the throat, used under a beat. Do not force it.	Advanced
Vocal scratch	–	Imitates a record being scratched. High wow factor, no rhythmic function.	Intermediate
Lip roll	Brrr	A rolling lip vibration, used for fills and transitions.	Intermediate
Siren	–	A rising and falling pitch made with the voice, borrowed from dancehall and jungle.	Intermediate
Click roll	–	A fast series of clicks, the beatbox equivalent of a snare roll.	Intermediate

The four that matter first

Kick drum, closed hi-hat, K snare, and the breathing that lets you keep going. With those you can play B – Ts – K – Ts, the pattern behind most pop and hip-hop, and that is a real beat – not an exercise. Everything in the lower half of the table builds on the muscle control you develop while getting those four clean.

How to practise a new sound

Take one sound and give it a week. Play it on its own until it is consistent, then put it into a beat you already know, replacing one existing sound. Do not add a second new sound before the first one survives being played fast. Ten minutes a day is enough – the limiting factor is muscle memory, not effort.