Have you ever dreamed of being able to sing and beatbox at the same time? You can thanks to the recent ability for Apple’s Siri personal assistant to generate beats on demand. If you’re ready to take the plunge, then these eight tips will help ease you into a better understanding of how this almost magical feature works. Try 1 trillion to the 10th power.
1. Siri’s beats are generated by human touch
Siri’s beat-making abilities were introduced with the release of iOS 9. The feature relies on human touch via certain objects to create a drumbeat that you can save or share by recording a video on your iPhone or iPad. When you ask Siri to beatbox, it will begin tapping its fingers across the screen and then generate a beat based on your interaction. You can tap back at any time and Siri will adjust its tempo accordingly. The better you tap along with Siri, the more realistic the beat will be.
2. Siri can’t create a beat without your help
Siri calls its beatboxing feature a form of “human-machine improvisation,” but it is really only as good as what you contribute to the mix. It takes two to tap, so be prepared to invest some time in learning how Siri works. The more time you put into learning the features, the better your experience will be.
3. Siri recognizes the beats you create
In order to make a beat, you’ll have to have Siri know what you’re tapping. Fortunately, that’s pretty easy. Simply hold down on the screen for roughly 30 seconds and Siri will start following your finger movements. While Siri is capable of generating an infinite number of unique beats, it doesn’t appear to recognize each individual beat you generate on your own iPhone or iPad. You’ll need to record a video or take a picture with your device to show Siri which beat you want it to recall.
4. You can save Siri’s beats for future playback
Siri comes loaded with about 15 pre-recorded beats, which can be saved at any time by tapping the three-dot “star” on the top of the screen and selecting “Save as.” This will allow you to replay them at any time using Siri. You can also instantly share each beat with friends or family via iMessage.
5. Beatboxing is a great way to practice your voice
As odd as it may sound, there are some amazing vocal benefits associated with learning how to beatbox through Siri. It is a great way to practice your pitch, volume and tempo before you launch into a song or even a spoken word performance.
6. Beatboxing can be fun for the whole family
As long as you purchase the correct version of Siri for your device, there is no reason why your children can’t get involved with beatboxing as well. Siri’s beat-making features are available for all ages, but kids in particular will enjoy making music with it. You can record a short video of your children tapping along with Siri and save it to share on social media or use it as a cool way to show off your iPad or iPhone in meetings.
7. It’s a good way to keep yourself awake
If you find yourself nodding off in meetings or boring lectures, then Siri beatboxing may be just what you need. In addition to helping you stay awake, it can also serve as a great way to kill time during down periods at work or school.
8. Learn about the history of beatboxing
While it may seem like a modern thing, beatboxing has actually been around for decades and is widely regarded as one of the oldest forms of music in existence. If you want to learn more about where it came from, you can watch videos on YouTube or visit sources such as the Beatbox wiki page.
9. Beatboxing is part of a larger community
While Siri integration is currently limited to the iOS platform, there are ways for you to communicate with others around the world who use different platforms. If you want to learn more about how others are using beatboxing in fun and unusual ways, check out the Beatbox Collective online community where you can share videos and tips with users from around the globe.
10. There are many ways to be creative with Siri beatboxing
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things when it comes time to integrate Siri into your beat-making process. You may come up with some amazing feedback loops that sound better than anything you could have imagined on your own.
Summary:
Siri beatboxing is a feature that is both fun and useful for many users. It takes time to learn, but if you put the effort in it will pay off big time. There are many creative ways you can use Siri beatboxing to improve your overall iPhone usage experience.
There is a lot to learn about Siri’s beatboxing features and the beats you create, but with practice, you will become an expert in no time.
