Beatboxing ‘Off’ Beat Rhythms

Making sure that you’re always broadening your skills as a beatboxer is a must. One simple way to do that is to practice both ‘on‘ and ‘off‘ beat rhythms. Most beatboxers and drummers are drawn to one more than the other. For example, a beatboxer that regularly beatbox’s ‘on‘ the beat might find it difficult to do an ‘off‘ beat rhythm and vice-versa. Whichever you are drawn to, make sure you practice both!

In beatboxing, off-beat rhythms refer to rhythms that do not align with the main pulse or downbeat of the music. In most music, there is a steady beat or pulse that serves as a foundation for the rhythm. This pulse is typically emphasized by instruments like the bass drum or the hi-hat in a drum kit.

Off-beat rhythms, on the other hand, place accents or sounds in between the main beats. They create syncopation and add complexity and interest to the overall rhythm. Off-beat rhythms can be achieved by emphasizing specific beats or subdivisions of the beat, or by introducing additional sounds in the spaces between the main beats.

Beatboxers use off-beat rhythms to create unique and intricate patterns with their vocal percussion. They can emphasize certain syllables or sounds on off-beats, creating a sense of syncopation and groove. Off-beat rhythms are often used to add energy, creativity, and unpredictability to beatboxing performances.

For example, a simple off-beat rhythm in beatboxing might involve emphasizing the “and” in between the main beats. In standard notation, this would be represented as “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.” By placing sounds or accents on the “and” counts, the beatboxer creates an off-beat rhythm that deviates from the primary pulse.

Overall, off-beat rhythms in beatboxing allow performers to explore complex rhythmic patterns, showcase their creativity, and create engaging and dynamic performances.

What exactly do ‘on‘ and ‘off‘ beats sound like in beatbox rhythms? Let’s take a look!

ON THE BEAT

So, put simply, ‘on‘ beats are the sounds that land ‘on‘ the count of the rhythm.

So if the count of the rhythm is 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and and we beatboxed B T K T to on the beat, it would look like this.

(‘B‘ is the Bass Drum, ‘T‘ is the Hi-Hat and ‘K‘ is the Snare)

[images style=”1″ image=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F09%2FCopy-of-the-808-snare.png” custom_width=”Y” width=”820″ custom_width_val=”500″ align=”center” top_margin=”0″]

[audio_player style=”1″ url=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2FBTKT.mp3″]

(Listen to audio clip above)

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OFF THE BEAT

‘Off‘ beats are the sounds in the rhythm that land anywhere in between one count and the next.

So if we add an extra hi-hat in between every count we would have sounds that land ‘on‘ and ‘off‘ the beat and it would look like this:

[images style=”1″ image=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F09%2Fthe-808-snare-150.png” custom_width=”Y” width=”820″ custom_width_val=”500″ align=”center” top_margin=”0″]

[audio_player style=”1″ url=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2FBTKT%2Boff.mp3″]

(Listen to audio clip above)

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That’s basically how on and off beat rhythms work. To summarise, anything that lands ‘on‘ the count of the rhythm is ‘on‘ the beat and anything that lands ‘off‘ the count of the rhythm is ‘off‘ the beat. If you are totally new to thinking about your beatbox rhythms using numbers and knowing what is ‘on‘ and ‘off‘ the beat, don’t let it worry you, you’ll get the hang of it. In fact, I usually don’t think about all this when I’m beatboxing but it really helps to know it. Working like this can help you to develop your timing and, like I said before, help to broaden your style.

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NOW TRY THESE

Every sound in Red is ‘on‘ the beat to a count of ‘1, 2, 3, 4‘. Each sound in Black is ‘off‘ the beat as they don’t land on either 1, 2, 3 or 4. Try counting along to the audio clips to the count of 1,2, 3, 4. You will know if you are counting correctly if the sounds in Red land on each number. So in the first rhythm B = 1, K = 2, T = 3, K = 4.

1. B  T  T  T  T  K  T  B  T  T  T  T  B  T  T  K  T  B  T  T

[audio_player style=”1″ url=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F2020_06_25_16_11_04.mp3″]

[divider style=”1″]

2. B  T  T  PF  B  T  T  B  T  PF  T  T

[audio_player style=”1″ url=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F2020_06_25_16_17_38.mp3″]

[divider style=”1″]

3. B  T  T  B  PF  T  B  T  T  B  B  T  PF  T  T  B

[audio_player style=”1″ url=”https%3A%2F%2Fschoolofbeatbox.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F2020_06_25_16_24_08.mp3″]

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Danny – School Of Beatbox