How to beatbox "boots and cats"

"Boots and cats" is the beat almost every beatboxer learns first, because the phrase already has the rhythm in it. Say it, whisper it, and you are halfway there.

From words to drums

Say "boots and cats and boots and cats". Each word is one beat:

So "boots and cats and" becomes B T K T:

BTKT▶ Hear it 60 bpm

Step by step

1. Say "boots and cats and" out loud, steadily, ten times.
2. Whisper it ten times. No voice at all.
3. Whisper only the first sound of each word: b, ts, k, ts.
4. Make each one sharper: pop the b, flick the ts, click the k.
5. Play it along with a click at 60 beats a minute, one sound per click.

Then speed it up

When it's clean at 60, try it faster. Same sounds, less time between them:

BTKT▶ Hear it 80 bpm

BTKT▶ Hear it 100 bpm

The sounds get smaller as you go faster; that's normal. What matters is that the kick still sounds different from the snare.

Is my boots and cats right?

Play it to your phone. Learn Beatboxing learns what your B, T and K sound like, then scores each beat you play: which sounds landed, which got mixed up, and how steady you were.

Score my boots and cats →

Questions

What does "boots and cats" mean in beatboxing?

It is a phrase used to teach the basic beat. Said quickly and whispered, "boots" gives the kick (B), "and" the hi-hat (T) and "cats" the snare (K).

How fast should boots and cats be?

Start at 60 beats a minute, one sound per second. Most songs sit somewhere between 80 and 100; get there in steps of 10.