How to Do the Cup Song (Plus, Where to Listen)

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Learn about the history behind this popular cup-backed track

Co-authored by Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: October 2, 2025 Fact Checked

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Doing the Cup Song

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Fun Facts

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Where to Listen

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

The beat of The Cup Song is based on "The Cup Game," an old children's game. It was created by Lulu and the Lampshades and popularized by Pitch Perfect, in which it is performed by Beca (Anna Kendrick). In this article, we’ll explain how to perform the Cup Song with step-by-step instructions and include a few fun facts about the track. Read on for more!

How to Perform the Cup Song

Set the cup on the table and clap twice with your hands above it.
Tap the top of the cup 3 times, then clap above it once.
Pick the cup up, move it 3 in (7.52 cm) to the right, then set it back down.
Clap once above the cup, grab it with your right hand, and rotate 90 degrees clockwise.
Hit the rim with your palm, then rotate the cup 45 degrees counterclockwise.
Tap the corner of the cup’s bottom on the table and pass it to your left hand.
Tap the table with your right hand and firmly place the upside-down cup on the table.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Do the Cup Song

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1
Set the cup on the table. Prepare to do the Cup Song by setting a cup down on a table. The cup should be rim down. Give yourself some space on either side of the cup.
- A plastic cup is best. Avoid using a glass or heavy cup until you have perfected the Cup Song.
2
Clap twice with your hands above the cup. Clap your hands together directly above the cup two times. Your hands should be above the cup.^{[1]
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- If your hands are too far from the cup, it will be more difficult to increase your speed.
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3
Tap the top of the cup three times. Alternate your hands during this step. Start with your right hand, then go to your left hand, then back to the right hand. You will primarily use your fingertips to tap the cup.^{[2]
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- Alternatively, tap the table on either side of the cup three times. You would still alternate right hand, left hand, right hand.
Make sure you are still about 6 inches (15.24 cm) above the cup. However, this time, just clap once.^{[3]
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Grasp the bottom of the cup with your right hand. Pick the cup up so it’s hovering about 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) above the table. Try to make an audible sound when grasping the cup by firmly grabbing it or slapping your hand onto it as you pick it up.^{[4]
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6
Move the cup to the right and set it down. Move the cup about 3 inches (7.62 cm) to the right. Set the cup down firmly to make another audible noise. The cup should still be rim down.^{[5]
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- Don’t slam the cup too hard! You don’t want it to slip out of your hands or break.
Continue to keep your hands about 6 inches (15.24 cm) above the cup. After you clap, turn your right hand so that your thumb is pointing down and your palm is facing right. Then, grasp the cup with your hand.^{[6]
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Rotate the cup 90 degrees clockwise, following the natural turn of your wrist. The rim, or opening, of the cup should be facing left.
Use the palm of your hand to hit the opening of the cup. Be sure that your hand connects with the rim to make another audible noise. Then, rotate it about 45 degrees. The cup should be almost straight up and down with the rim facing up.^{[7]
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Before the cup reaches the straight up and down position, tap the bottom edge of the cup to the table. Then, continue to turn it clockwise as you pass it to your left hand. As you grab the cup, slightly smack the bottom or the side to make another audible noise.
Cross your right arm to hit the table near the left side of your body.
Cross your left arm over your right and firmly place the cup back down on the table. The cup should land back down on its rim near the right side of your body.^{[8]
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Continue to practice the Cup Song until you get faster. Once you feel comfortable with the movements, try putting it to the song “When I’m Gone.” The movements repeat throughout the song.

Section 2 of 3:

Fun Facts About the Cup Song

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1
It was inspired by the 1931 song “When I’m Gone” by the Carter Family. The song was released in 1931 and reworked into an Appalachian folk song in 1937 by The Mainers Mountaineers. Lulu and the Lampshades later reworked the song, added cups as percussion, and uploaded it to YouTube in 2009. Actor Anna Kendrick covered the “Cup Song” in the movie Pitch Perfect.^{[9]
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Anna Kendrick’s performance of “Cups” led to script changes. When Kendrick performed “Cups” (the official title of the Cup Song) to showcase her singing abilities, it wowed the Pitch Perfect producers so much that they ended up changing the script. Originally, Kendrick was supposed to perform the 1939 nursery rhyme “I’m a Little Teapot,” but her performance led to the song being changed to “Cups.”
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The song shot her up to number 1 on the Billboard charts. Once Pitch Perfect was released, “Cups” quickly took the world by storm. Not only was it all over the internet and blaring through people’s headphones and speakers, but a year after its debut, it hit number 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay Chart. It also hit number 2 on Adult Pop Songs and number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.^{[10]
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4
It isn’t Anna Kendrick’s first song. Although “Cups” is more widely known, it actually isn’t the first song recorded and released by Anna Kendrick. Her first official song was “Ladies Who Lunch,” which was a part of the soundtrack for the musical Merrily We Roll Along. Released on July 22, 2003, “Ladies Who Lunch” was Kendrick’s only song until the release of “Cups” in 2012.^{[11]
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- Kendrick wasn’t the only performer on the song. She was accompanied by musician Alana Allen.

Section 3 of 3:

Where to Listen to the Cup Song

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Listen to “Cups” on your personal streaming service or YouTube. The Cup Song, which is officially known as “Cups (Pitch Perfect’s “When I’m Gone”),” is available for you to listen to on all major streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music. If those aren’t your thing, opt for YouTube or Soundcloud. Want to listen right now? Check out “Cups” on your streaming service of choice below:
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Tidal
- Amazon Music
- YouTube
- Soundcloud

Community Q&A

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Do you think I should be quick or slow?

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When you go faster, it sounds better.

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How do you do it fast?

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Follow the steps and keep practicing. The more you do it, the faster you'll be!

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How do you keep in time with the music?

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Listen to the song, try to pick up the beat and the rhythm, and remember that beat and rhythm. Then, when you add a cup, it will help to keep you in time.

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Tips

Perform the Cup Song on a table or other hard surface for best results.

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Helpful 8 Not Helpful 5
Use a plastic cup. This is especially important when practicing. Only graduate to a glass cup once you feel very comfortable with the movements.

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The Cup Song takes a lot of practice, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it on the first try.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Start slowly, increase speed with practice. Rushing tempo too quickly leads to flubbed timing. Gradually accelerate speed once the sequence is solid. Perfect it slow, speed it up later.
Tighten transitions between steps first. The trickiest part is fluidly linking each movement into the next. Target those transitions, connect motions seamlessly, then optimize speed.
Recruit friends to learn together. Turn practice into a social activity! Laugh over mistakes, critique form, share tips. Making it communal will keep you motivated.
Play songs aloud while practicing. Hearing the lyrics and melodies you'll perform with imprints the rhythm into your brain through multilayered sensory inputs.
Master the rhythm before adding props. Clap out the beat, say the sequence aloud. Internalize it first, then layer on cups, tables, etc.
Film yourself to catch errors. Review videos to see where movements fall out of sync with the beat. Self-analysis boosts precision.

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